25. No Echidna is an Island: Chapter 1: The wedding
by NetRaptor
No Echidna Is an Island

by K. M. Hollar
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Copyright notice: Sonic, Knuckles, the Chaotix and related characters are copyrighted by Sega and
Archie comics. Slasher, Talon, Zephyer, and all other minor characters are copyrighted by K. M.
Hollar. This story copyrighted 2004 by K. M. Hollar. Do not copy without permission.
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Author's note: Aside from Slave and the Darkness, this story has the most mundane premise of any
story I've ever written. I defy other fic writers to take a custody battle and make it interesting. Heck,
_I_ doubt I made it interesting. But stick with it and see if it comes out being fun by the end.

A lot of stories end with a wedding, implying that marriage is the Happily Ever After of life.
However, I'm of the opinion that marriage is only the beginning of the adventure, which is the reason
this story starts the way it does. I never intended for this story to grow beyond the wedding itself, but
it somehow did, and this fic is the result.
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Do I dare even wear what I was thinking of
My true colors bleeding on my sleeve
Do I chance the romance that I've been dreaming of
Instead of wishing for it quietly
Always at a distance I wish you'd safely stay
Despite my resistance you sought me anyway

Gone are the days of all that I was afraid of
I've left behind the traces of who I've been
I'm no longer able to wrestle with this angel
And the closer you can get I can let you love me

--Gone are the Days, Nicole Nordeman
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Chapter 1: The wedding
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"Zephyer, are you okay?" Sally called through the bathroom door.

"Fine," came the echidna's voice, although she sounded awful.

Sally looked at her watch. "We have an hour until the wedding starts. You need to get dressed pretty
soon."

"I know!" Zephyer wailed, opening the door. She was as white as a sheet, and had the shaky look of
one who has been throwing up. She walked out and sat down on the nearest chair. They were in
Sally's hut, which had been turned into an impromptu dressing room. Knuckles and Zephyer were
getting married, and Zephyer was terrified.

The door opened and Serena Hedgehog walked in. She was carrying two dresses folded over her
arms, and deposited them on Sally's bed. "There! I was lucky to find them, the village is topsy-turvy
right now. Hi Zephyer, why aren't you dressed?"

"I've been working on it," said Zephyer, indicating her slip. "But I--I keep--" She jumped to her feet,
ran into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Sally looked at Serena. "Nerves."

Serena nodded. "I never realized she had such a weak stomach." She sat down and took off her
shoes. "We might as well get dressed--I wish I was a boy sometimes."

"Why?" said Sally, pulling her own dress over her head.

"They're having a great time over there," said Serena, lifting her own dress and inspecting it.
"Laughing and carrying on. Sonic teased me all the way over here about wearing a dress."

"Thwack him one next time," said Sally, checking herself in the mirror.

"My hands were full or I would have," said Serena, pulling her dress on. "Hey Zephyer, get out here,
I want to see how the wedding dress looks on you."

The door opened and Zephyer emerged whiter than ever. "Can't we call it off?" she begged, as Sally
took the wedding dress off its hanger.

"Too late to do that," said Sally. "Besides, there's no reason to inconvenience everybody like that.
We had to fly in a priest special just for today."

Sally and Serena pulled the dress over Zephyer's head and adjusted it. Zephyer looked at herself in
the mirror and smiled at the echidna looking back at her. The dress made her look taller and older,
and accented her jawline. She tossed back her dreadlocks and wished she felt as brave as she looked.

"Man, you are whiter than that dress," said Serena, who had been studying her. "And you look like a
queen or something."

"She really does," said Princess Sally. "Mother used to dress like this on formal occasions. Zephyer,
there's no way Knuckles deserves you."

"He derobotized me," said Zephyer through her teeth. "I'd say I owe him something. Oh no, look!"
She twisted around and looked at her back in the mirror. The dress had a low back, and it revealed a
long, hideous scar across her red fur.

Sally said, "Look, if you let your hair fall back like this, it hides it." Zephyer shook back her
dreadlocks. Ever since she had been derobotized her health had returned with a vengeance, and her
dreadlocks were thick and healthy.

Sally and Serena made Zephyer sit down and began fixing her dreadlocks. Each lock ended in a stiff
spine, and the ones in back were the stiffest. The ones closer to her face were softer and more pliable,
and these Serena brushed out and braided with ribbons while Sally fastened clips around the ones in
back.

Midway through there came a knock, and a female voice called, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Sally called, and Amy Rose bounded in. She was dressed in red, but this dress was a
trifle longer than usual.

"Ooo Zephyer!" she squealed. "You look adorable!"

"Thanks," said Zephyer, holding still under Serena and Sally's grooming. "What'd you do to your
hair? It looks great."

"Mom curled it," said Amy, looking in the mirror. "Oh, this is all so romantic! Do you think Sonic
will let me hold his hand?"

Serena flashed a grin at Sally. "Oh, I'm sure he'd like that. He gets very sentimental at weddings."

Zephyer's eyebrows shot up, and Sally went into a coughing fit to hide her laughter.

Amy was oblivious. "Oh goody! I'll make sure to stand by him when we go up in front. Can I help
do your hair, Zephyer?"

Zephyer opened her mouth, but Sally interrupted her. "We need someone to do Zephyer's makeup."

"Makeup!" squealed Amy. "I can do that!"

Zephyer glared in the mirror at Sally, who sat back and surrendered to a giggling fit.

Meanwhile, across the village, Sonic and Knuckles were dressed, groomed and tossing a ball back
and forth across Sonic's hut. "Gee, I hate waiting," said Sonic, catching the ball and spinning it on
one finger. "What are you guys going to do for your honeymoon?"

Sonic threw the ball to Knuckles, who tossed it back. "She wants an exclusive tour of the whole
island, so we're going to do some hiking."

"Hiking," said Sonic. "No trips to exotic locations?"

"The Floating Island IS an exotic location," said Knuckles, and grinned. "I know what you mean,
though. I was wracking my brains for a place to go until she suggested exploring."

They tossed the ball a couple times, then Knuckles got up and paced. Sonic watched him, reading
his friend's nervousness. "Want to play a computer game?"

"No," said Knuckles, looking out the window. "Looks like the whole village is out there."

"Any sign of the girls?"

Knuckles craned his neck. "Nope." The curtains were drawn in Sally's hut, but he had seen Amy go
inside. "I wish this was over with."

"I plan to enjoy the whole shebang," said Sonic, leaning back in his chair. "The rehearsal was so
much fun, I'm expecting today to be even better."

"Don't mention the rehearsal," said Knuckles, resuming pacing.

Sonic grinned. "At least there wasn't an audience when you knocked over the altar."

"I said don't mention it," growled Knuckles.

Sonic's grin widened. "Well, whatever happens, Tails is getting it all on tape."

"Thanks for reminding me," said Knuckles, walking to the wall, spinning around, and walking back.
He was interrupted as the door opened and a young brown and white anteater looked in. "Hello sir,
hello Sonic."

"Hi Talon," Sonic and Knuckles said in unison.

Talon stepped in and looked at Knuckles's suit. "Wow."

"Looks good, doesn't he?" said Sonic. "I keep telling him that, but he doesn't believe me."

Talon nodded. "Yes. Um, Knuckles sir, do you have a ring?"

"Yeah," said Knuckles. "Why?"

"I'm the ringbearer," said Talon, "and I wondered where the rings were."

Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other. "I gave it to you," said Knuckles. "Last night."

"I handed it back, remember?" said Sonic. "You put it in that coat you were wearing."

Knuckles made a dive for the closet, found a coat and frisked the pockets. "Here it is," he said,
pulling out a small box. He opened it and looked at the gold ring set with a glowing red stone. He
handed it to Talon. "Keep it safe."

Talon looked at the ring, then looked up at Knuckles. "Where's YOUR ring, sir?"

Knuckles went white and looked at Sonic. Sonic burst out laughing. "You made seven rings for her,
and forgot about one for you?"

"I can't believe this," said Knuckles, looking at his hands. "Where am I going to find a ring to fit me
in--in one hour?"

Sonic slapped his thighs. "This is classic! What are you going to do when the priest asks for the
rings?"

"If you'd stop laughing for half a second, maybe I could think," said Knuckles.

Talon stepped forward. "What size do you need?"

Knuckles held up one finger, and Talon measured it with his fingers. "I'll see if I can find anything
that might work."

"Good luck," said Sonic as Talon left. "Knux has fingers like cucumbers."

"And a brain like a head of lettuce," said Knuckles. "I can't believe I forgot my ring!"

"Could you take one and stretch it to fit?"

"No time." Knuckles looked miserable.

Sonic fought back another attack of laughter. "Maybe Talon will think of something."

* * *

The center of Knothole had been turned into a wedding pavilion, with the streets roped off and chairs
of all shapes and sizes arranged in rows facing the altar. The altar was a packing crate upended and
disguised with flowers and vines. There were three cameras set up at discreet angles, each one poised
to film a different element of the proceedings. Tails was hooking up the third one to a laptop
computer when Talon ran up, panting.

"Tails, got a minute?"

"Not really," said Tails, looking up. "What's wrong?"

"Knuckles forgot to get a ring," said Talon, grinning. "You got any ideas for something else to use?"

Tails's jaw dropped. "He doesn't have a ring? Where has he BEEN? We've only been planning this
wedding for a month!"

"Yeah," said Talon. "So, any ideas?"

Tails sat for a moment, thinking hard. "How big are his fingers?"

Talon made a circle with both hands.

"What we need is more like a bracelet," said Tails. "Jewelry ... jewelry ... who around here has
something like that?"

"Nobody," said Talon. "That's why I asked you."

"Let me finish this, then we'll look around my workshop," said Tails, typing on the keyboard. "If
Zephyer finds out about this, she's going to kill him."

With forty minutes left until the start of the ceremony, Tails and Talon ran to Tails's workshop and
looked at the piles of machine parts. "Gold," muttered Tails to himself. "I don't use gold, it's too
soft."

"What if it was brass instead?" said Talon, picking up a piece of wire. "It looks gold."

Tails bit his lip. "Getting married with a brass ring sounds like some kind of joke." He took the wire
and bent it into a circle. He grabbed a pair of pliers and looped the wire again, then twisted the two
together and held up the result.

"That looks pretty neat," said Talon.

"Let's try it on," said Tails, and ducked out of his workshop.

Knuckles was tossing the ball up and down when the fox and anteater entered. He and Sonic jumped
up. "Try this on," said Tails, holding out the loop of wire. "Better get a real one as soon as possible,
because Zephyer will kill you for this."

"Brass?" said Knuckles, staring at the wire. "I might kill you myself."

"It's better than nothing at all," said Tails.

"True." Knuckles slid on the ring, and Tails cut off the extra wire.

"It does look pretty good," said Sonic as Knuckles held up his hand and examined it. "How it's
twisted together. It looks gold."

"It looks brass to me," said Knuckles, who saw a lot of ore every day in the tunnels of the Floating
Island. "But I guess it'll work."

* * *

Zephyer lifted the shade and peeked out at the square, where people were taking their seats. She
dropped the shade. "I can't do it," she said, turning to Sally, Serena and Amy. "Let's just say I'm sick
and postpone it until tomorrow."

Sally and Serena exchanged glances and said nothing--Zephyer's protests were beginning to sound
the same. But Amy looked horrified. "Zephyer, you can't cancel it now! We've been waiting for you
and Knuckles to get married since we moved here!"

"So I've heard," said Zephyer, examining herself in the mirror for the thousandth time. "Whatever
you did to my hair, it looks great." Her face was framed in multicolored ribbons that were braided
around her bangs and foremost dreadlocks.

"It'll look good in the pictures," said Serena. She checked her watch. "Ten minutes."

Zephyer had to sit down.

Sally stepped out of the hut to watch for the start of the ceremony, and saw Slasher the winged
velociraptor striding toward her. Slasher was wearing a golden necklace with a large glass stone in
it, and it gave her reptilian face a certain grace. "How's Zephyer?" the raptor asked.

"Nervous," said Sally. "I think a lot of it's for show--she doesn't know how to cope with happiness. Is
everything ready?"

"We're getting there," said Slasher. "The priest wasn't wild about me giving away the bride, since I'm
not even Zephyer's species, but I talked about how we're like a family in Knothole and how it was
suitable and so on. He finally gave in. Oh, thanks for this necklace. I feel aristocratic."

"It looks good on you," said Sally with a smile.

The two watched the villagers choose their seats, and Tails run around, double-checking his
cameras. Amy emerged from the hut and looked at all the people. "Wow, it's almost time, isn't it?"

"Yes, better take your place," said Sally, and Amy ran to stand at the end of the aisle with a basket
of flower petals.

Serena stepped outside and sighed. "A real wedding, right here in Knothole! Sally, when you marry
Sonic, can I be your maid of honor?"

Sally's face grew hot. "What did you say?"

Serena looked at her, then covered her mouth. "Oh gosh, I shouldn't have said that."

Slasher coughed and kept a straight face.

Sally regained her composure. "I doubt I'll marry Sonic for a long time, but if I do, you can be my
maid of honor."

Serena stared at the ground, mortified.

The clock struck two, and across the village, Sonic and Knuckles emerged from Sonic's hut. Sonic
was giddy with excitement and thought Knuckles was walking too slowly. Knuckles had stopped
talking half an hour ago, which was a sign he was terrified. He followed Sonic with his teeth
clenched, dreading the stares of the crowd.

They parted ways at the aisle. Sonic winked and took off around the side of the chairs to meet
Knuckles up by the alter with Talon. Knuckles was down at the foot of the aisle with Amy, who
looked at him and giggled.

Tails had set up the sound system, and pressed play on the audio player. Rock music blasted the
pavilion for two seconds before Tails could find the stop button. Sweating and embarrassed, Tails
switched disks to the appropriate one and put it on. A titter of laughter swept the crowd. Ignoring
them, Tails activated his cameras and gazed at their screens on his laptop.

Amy walked down the aisle, sprinkling flower petals as she went. She waved to various people,
grinning like a celebrity, until she reached the alter and moved off to stand beside it.

Then it was Knuckles's turn, and he strode up the aisle as if it was a passage leading to a death pit.
All he could think of was how he wanted to punch Tails for playing the wrong music. Then he
reached the alter and had a breathing space. All eyes were at the foot of the aisle again, where
Zephyer was approaching, escorted by Slasher.

As the bride began her way up the aisle, murmurs rose from the crowd--Zephyer had never looked so
beautiful. Sally and Serena must be first-class beauticians, for Zephyer was ordinarily rather plain.
Zephyer tried to ignore them all. She had met Knuckles's eyes across the pavilion, and gazed at him
as she walked up the aisle. If she looked away even once, she would chicken out. But she made it to
the altar.

"And who gives this female?" said the priest.

"I do," said Slasher, "as a member of her adoptive family."

Zephyer stepped away from her and stood beside Knuckles, gazing at him. He stared back,
breathtaken by the way she looked in her white dress. He had never seen her in a dress before.

They faced the priest, who gave a little sermon about marriage and all that it entailed. Then he read
the age-old words from a worn book. "Do you, Knuckles Echidna, hereby take this female to be
your lawfully wedded wife?"

"Yes!" Knuckles thundered.

A chuckle ran through the crowd.

The priest turned to Zephyer. "And do you, Zephyer Winstrom, hereby take this male to be your
lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," said Zephyer.

Then they made their vows, swearing to be faithful for better for worse, for richer or poorer, in
sickness and in health, as long as they both should live. Zephyer was glad they had decided not to
memorize their vows and recite them, for her brain was scattered and she couldn't have repeated
anything from memory.

The priest called for the rings, and Talon stepped forward, grinning his lopsided grin, and held them
out. Sonic was grinning, too. Zephyer took Knuckles's ring and put it on his finger, noticing only
how large it was. Then he put her own ring on her finger. They had had to remake the band to fit her
derobotized finger, and the red gem glowed in the sun with a steady fire.

"You may now kiss the bride," said the priest. Knuckles pecked Zephyer on the lips, then they
turned and faced the crowd. Zephyer's mind was blank--despite the rehearsal, she couldn't remember
what to do next. Fortunately Knuckles was beside her, and he guided her forward, down the aisle.
She looked at him and smiled at the expression of determination on his face, as if this was an
unpleasant task he was trying to finish.

Everyone clapped as they exited the pavilion to an additional burst of music, and the bride and
groom led the way across the village to the community hut, where the reception was being held.

"Are you okay?" Knuckles whispered as they stepped into the big room.

"Fine," said Zephyer. "Now that it's all over. Do we have to stay for the reception?"

"Well, they're giving it for us," said Knuckles. "Here, have some punch. You'll feel better." He
ladled her a cup of red punch from a bowl, and made her sit and drink it. The rest of the crowd
trooped in at this point, talking and laughing. "Look, Knux is already the doting husband!" someone
shouted, and there was a guffaw of laughter.

"Was that Sonic?" said Knuckles.

"Yes," said Zephyer without looking up.

"I'll pound him for that," said Knuckles, smiling as the crowd swarmed around them.

Even Zephyer had to admit that the reception was fun. They cut the wedding cake, which had a
custard filling. There was a dance, and Zephyer and Knuckles danced as close as they liked. There
was the bridal bouquet toss, which Amy caught. Starry-eyed, she turned to look at Sonic, who edged
out the door. Amy screamed his name and ran after him, and Knuckles laughed and decided not to
pound Sonic after all.

Knuckles brought in two papers and read them aloud to Knothole. They certified that Zephyer was
legally his wife, disregarding all echidna social custom and rank. He and Zephyer signed it, along
with five witnesses. This was done to alleviate Zephyer's worry that her social rank was too low to
allow her to marry the Guardian.

The reception ended at dusk, and Zephyer fled to Sally's hut to change. Sally and Serena followed
her.

"I am so glad to get this thing off," said Zephyer, pulling off the wedding dress. "I never want to
wear one of these again as long as I live!"

"Hopefully you won't have to," said Sally, retrieving the dress and hanging it from the back of the
closet door. "What're you going to wear? You got enough clothes as wedding presents to open your
own store."

"Did you see anything like a toga?" asked Zephyer, untying a ribbon from her hair.

"A toga?" said Serena, who was rummaging through the boxes of clothes. "Why in the world would
you want to wear that?"

"They're like what we wore back home," said Zephyer. "I didn't think I'd get one--I'll have to make
one later. Find me a dress, that'll work."

Serena produced a green cotton dress, and Zephyer pulled it on and looked in the mirror. "It works."

"It goes with your fur," said Sally. "Why don't you take what you need for tonight? We can bring the
rest of this to the island tomorrow."

"Okay," said Zephyer. She picked out two more dresses, then sat while Sally and Serena took the
clips and ribbons out of her hair.

Zephyer was collecting her things when there came a light knock on the door. Serena opened it and
Knuckles looked in. "Is Zephyer in here?"

"Right here," said Zephyer. She walked outside, then turned back and hugged Sally and Serena.
"Thank you guys so much! I would have wimped out if not for you."

"Oh, it was our pleasure!" said Sally. She and Serena waved as the echidnas departed.

Zephyer and Knuckles strolled through Knothole toward the teleporter. Without their fine clothes
they were anonymous in the gathering dusk. "Tired?" said Knuckles.

"A little," said Zephyer. "What do we do now?"

"You move in with me, duh," said Knuckles.

"No," said Zephyer. "I mean, what about the Master Emerald?"

"Shh," said Knuckles. "Wait until we get home."

Get home. Zephyer felt a thrill at the thought. The Floating Island was no longer a place to visit--it
was her home. And she never had to be seperated from Knuckles again.

The teleporter whisked them away and set them down on the receiver plate on the island. Crickets
chirped all around, and Zephyer could hear frogs croaking in the banana palm grove to the left. She
took a deep breath of the warm tropical air.

"It's different from Knothole, isn't it?" said Knuckles.

She nodded, eyes suddenly moist. "Every time I visited, I wanted to stay so bad that leaving was like
dying."

"Here now, don't cry," said Knuckles. "Let's run up to the house before we go to Hidden Palace."

Hand in hand they walked up the path to Chaotix Central, where Knuckles's house was. It had
started out as a one-room shack, but over the years Knuckles had expanded it, so now it was a
sprawling cottage that threw out unexpected wings. "What if the Chaotix are waiting in ambush?"
Zephyer asked, looking at the darkened windows.

"I told them we weren't coming home until tomorrow," said Knuckles. "Besides, they were all
helping with the reception, didn't you notice?"

"I noticed Vector provided the sound equipment Tails used," said Zephyer, grinning. "Poor Tails."
They laughed.

They went inside long enough for Zephyer to hang up her clothes, then they went outside again in
the warm June night. They were halfway back to the teleporter when Knuckles stopped. "Zephyer."

"Hmm?"

"Our kiss at the altar ... I didn't do a very good job."

She put her arms around him. "All right--let's try it again."

He kissed her and she kissed him back, each one taking longer and longer. Finally he reluctantly
drew away. "We're going to be late."

"For what?" she whispered.

He kissed her forehead. "The Master Emerald ceremony. See, the Knothole wedding didn't really
count. The real wedding is still coming."

Zephyer turned pale. "Oh no ... you mean we have to do all that again?"

"Not quite," said Knuckles. "Come on." They walked to the teleporter. Knuckles changed its setting,
and it whisked them to a tall, dark cave underground.

"Zephyer, there's someone I want you to meet," said Knuckles as they walked down the passage
toward the blue glow of Hidden Palace.

She gripped his hand in sudden panic. "Who?"

With a proud smile, Knuckles stepped across the threshold and said, "Locke Echidna--my father."

Locke rose from his seat beside the Master Emerald and walked forward. He was the same height as
Knuckles, and a shade heavier. The fur around his eyebrows and muzzle had a sprinkling of white,
and he had Knuckles's eyes.

"Dad, this is Zephyer Winstom," said Knuckles, placing her hand in his.

Locke bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zephyer. It's nice to be able to put a name to a face."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir," said Zephyer, liking him at once. "I see where Knuckles gets his
good looks."

Locke smiled. "And I'm glad my son has good taste in women. Won't the two of you step this way?"

The three walked to the Master Emerald's pedestal. "What do we do?" asked Zephyer, unobtrusively
taking Knuckles's hand again. He could feel her trembling.

"It's a simple ceremony," said Locke. "Place your hands on the emerald, you will swear two
oaths--one, your vows of marriage, and two, and Guardian's oath."

"But we already said our vows," said Zephyer, bewildered.

Locke looked at her with amusement. "Knuckles has neglected your training, hasn't he? All oaths
sworn on the Master Emerald are unbreakable. That's why Knuckles can't leave the island for long
periods."

Zephyer looked at her husband, who nodded sheepishly.

Zephyer placed her hands on the Master Emerald's smooth top, and Knuckles did the same. The light
within the gem brightened. "Now repeat after me," said Locke, and began speaking in Old Mobian.
It was a shock to Zephyer, who had only been studying the language for six months, but she
understood enough of it to perform the ceremony. The echidna wedding vows were long and
involved, and in much fancier language than the ordinary vows. She and Knuckles repeated the
ancient words, and the Master Emerald slowly brightened, as if they were feeding it.

When they finished, Locke switched back to New Mobian. "I pronounce you man and wife, and may
this power hold you true and bind you as the Guardian is bound to the island."

A jolt of power flowed up Zephyer's arms, and for a second the cave swam in neon colors--then it
drained away, leaving Zephyer shaking and fatigued. Beside her, Knuckles was also shaken.

"Now, Zephyer Echidna," said Locke, turning to her, "you must swear the Guardian's Oath, because
you are now co-Guardian."

Zephyer nodded, planning to see this through. Again the words were in Old Mobian, and this time
only Zephyer repeated them. She noticed, however, that Knuckles's lips moved, as if he knew them
by heart and found it amusing to hear someone else say them.

This time, at the conclusion of the oath, the Master Emerald blasted its power into her body and
mind. She was flooded with images of the island as if the memories of all echidnas were being given
to her. They were so fast and vivid that she dreamed about them for weeks afterward, and the red
stone on her finger glowed in response.

Then it was over, and for a moment Zephyer was unsure if she could stand. But she willed herself to
stay strong. "Is that all?"

"That's all," said Locke. "And now I must be going."

"But Dad, didn't you want to look around the island?" asked Knuckles.

Locke shook his head. "I can't, son. The longer I'm here, the stronger its hold on me. You have my
blessing." He hugged Knuckles and Zephyer, then strode for the teleporter.

As it lit up and carried Locke away, Zephyer saw the desolate look on Knuckles's face, and she
wondered how many years Knuckles had been alone. She laid a hand on his shoulder. He ducked his
head and turned to her. "Well, that's done. You're stuck with me, now."

"When did he leave the island?" she asked.

"When I was six," said Knuckles.

Zephyer had a sudden vision of a small echidna child standing alone beside the Master Emerald, and
threw her arms around Knuckles. "You poor thing!"

"Poor thing?" said Knuckles. "I liked it. Now, do you want to stay here or go up to the house?"

"Whatever you want to do," said Zephyer. She took two steps and knelt, holding her head.

"What's wrong?" asked Knuckles, kneeling beside her.

"That last oath really took it out of me," she whispered.

"I knew you weren't strong enough yet," said Knuckles, glaring at the Master Emerald. "Come on,
let's get you home."

Zephyer tried to get up, but her equilibrium was off. In the end Knuckles picked her up and carried
her to the teleporter.

As they landed on the receiver plate near the house, Zephyer said, "It's traditional to carry the bride
across the threshold, isn't it?"

"I guess it is," said Knuckles. "I don't think most brides were still recovering from derobotization,
though."

"Ugh, don't remind me," said Zephyer.

"You don't weigh anything," said Knuckles. "It's only been two months."

He stepped up on the porch and opened the door with one hand. "Welcome home," he said as she
stepped through the door.

He set her down on the couch in the living room, and sat beside her. She rested her head back on the
cushions and sighed. He smoothed her hair back from her face and kissed her temple.

"Knux," she whispered.

"Yes?"

"This couch has got to go."

Knuckles straightened. "What? What's wrong with it?"

"Its springs are hanging out," said Zephyer, pointing to one beside her head. "And it's this hideous
green."

"Hey, this couch and I have been through a lot together," said Knuckles.

Zephyer closed her eyes. "We'll get a new one."

Knuckles plucked at some exposed stuffing. "I suppose it could use a few patches, and the cushions
are shredded underneath from the time Kardot went after Talon with a sword .. but I think it has a
lot of use left in it. Maybe we could get it reupholstered." He looked at Zephyer again to see her
head had drooped sideways. He sighed and picked her up again.

He carried her to his bedroom--their bedroom, he reminded himself--and laid her down. She stirred a
little, then sank back into sleep like a child. He pulled off her shoes and covered her with the
blanket. He stood looking at her, feeling an immense shyness about the sleeping arrangements. He
removed his own shoes and eased under the blanket, trying not to wake her up. As soon as his head
hit the pillow, he realized how much of his strength the Master Emerald had taken.

He was asleep in three minutes.

25. No Echidna is an Island: Chapter 2: A period of adjustment
by NetRaptor
Chapter 2: A period of adjustment
___________________________________________________________________

When Knuckles awoke the next morning, Zephyer's side of the bed was empty, but there was a pink hibiscus flower beside his head. He looked at it for a moment, then sprang out of bed to find his wife.

Zephyer was in the kitchen, washing an assortment of fresh fruit in the sink. "Hello, sleepyhead," she said. "It's a gorgeous morning, and you've missed most of it."

He kissed her and said, "What's all this?"

"Breakfast," said Zephyer. "Remember when you had to worry about feeding me? Now I get to feed you."

Knuckles grinned. "If I had known that marrying you would be this convenient, I'd have done it years ago."

They ate breakfast and breathed the morning breeze that blew in through the open windows. "When do you want to start hiking?" asked Knuckles.

Zephyer examined a star-shaped fruit. "Well, there's all that stuff we need to haul in from Knothole, and what should we do about Talon? Should we leave him there, or bring him here and leave him to the mercy of the Chaotix?"

Knuckles chewed and swallowed before answering. "Let's bring him home. He hates leaving the island, you know."

Zephyer nodded. "I thought it was only an echidna thing."

Knuckles shrugged. "The island has that effect on everybody."

There was a moment of silence, and a flock of parrots flew by outside the window, chattering. "Could we adopt him?" asked Zephyer.

Knuckles looked at her. "I've thought about it. I couldn't do it before, being single and all."

"Well, if he's going to live with us, we might as well adopt him," said Zephyer. "Do you realize we could be charged with kidnapping?"

"Yeah, and what if we had to take him to a hospital or something?" said Knuckles. He sighed. "What worries me is that we'd have to find his uncle."

"Yeah." Zephyer made a face. "Anybody who builds himself a daughter and doesn't tell her about it has got to be loony." She licked her fingers. "I think we could leave this afternoon."

Knuckles nodded and carried his plate of rinds and seeds to the garbage. "It's great to see you eating again."

"It's amazing how much better I feel without the metal on me," she replied. "But you know, I kind of miss it."

Knuckles gave her an odd look.

"I had it so long," said Zephyer, "and I treated it like armor. It did protect me from the biotics."

"What did Zinc do when he saw you'd been derobotized?"

"He started crying. That reminds me--I need to pick up the chao, too."

"I'll come with you," said Knuckles. "We'll get all the work out of the way, first."

* * *

"The tiger develops a taste for blood, and begins hunting in secret," said the video, showing footage of a Mobian tiger undergoing a werewolf-transformation.

"She doesn't know how to tell her friends, and retreats from society. Her instincts take over and she becomes active at night." Shots of the crazy-eyed tigress stalking through the woods.

"This is known as Mobian Regression. The final step along this path is when she begins walking on all fours." An image of the tigress crouching, now indistinguishable from a non-sentient animal.

"That is such bunk," said Tails. "Turn that off, will you?"

Talon switched off the television. "That doesn't happen?"

"No way," said the fox. He had an electronics kit spread out on the floor of his hut, and was building a second television. Talon had been watching the one already built. His eyes were wide. "Are you sure?"

"That was broadcast from the human colonies," said Tails. "They study us and think they know everything. They're a different species! How can they know what a Mobian's feeling?"

"It does happen, though," said a voice. The pair looked up and saw Zephyer looking in through the screen door. "I met a relapsed wolf once, and it was scary as heck."

"You did?" Tails gave her his full attention. "What happened?"

"He tried to eat me and Spike," she said. "Several times. I think he went after Slasher, too."

"Whoa!" Tails and Talon looked at each other. "So if I tasted blood, I'd, like, turn crazy too?" Tails asked.

Zephyer shrugged. "I don't know what causes it. Talon, do you want to come home, or stay here with Tails for a week?"

"Go home," said Talon, jumping up. He grabbed his backpack and was out the door, calling goodbye to Tails.

Tails waved, then reached over and turned the TV back on.

Amy Rose was babysitting the chao. When Zephyer knocked, she discovered Zinc and Chimera were dressed up in doll clothes, and Amy was having a tea party with them. Zinc had a patient, angelic look on his silver face that Zephyer recognized as the way he looked just before he shredded something.

Chimera, the dark red dragon chao, had no such reservations and was shredding his napkin. There was a pile of shreds beside him, and Amy looked exasperated.

"Hi Zephyer," she said as the echidna stepped in. "Could you tell Chimera to behave? He's been a brat all morning."

"I'm going to take them off your hands," said Zephyer. "Thanks for babysitting them."

"You're welcome," said Amy, undressing Zinc, who stared straight ahead. Zephyer knew the look--Zinc was fighting the urge to rip Amy's face off. Fortunately for Amy, Zinc was too well-mannered to do such a thing.

Chimera, on the other hand, tore off his doll clothes, threw them on the floor and stamped on them, then ran outside. "Brat!" Amy yelled after him.

Zephyer picked up Zinc, trying to keep from laughing. "Sorry about that."

"I don't want to see him ever again!" fumed Amy. "But you can bring back Zinc any time."

"Yeah right," said Zinc, once they were out of Amy's hut. "Zephyer, if I have to spend one more hour in that hedgehog's presence, I'll kill someone."

"She was a bad choice as a babysitter," said Zephyer, striding through Knothole with Talon at her heels. Talon was laughing.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Chimera ripping apart that dress." He snorted. Zephyer had only heard him laugh twice in her life, and she liked the sound. Talon was too solemn for a pup his age.

She arrived at the fenced area by the teleporter, and found a stack of boxes beside the gate. Sonic was running from the village to the teleporter and back, bringing more, and Knuckles was loading them on the lens and beaming them out as fast as he could go. Chimera was perched on a box, giving Knuckles a scornful account of Amy's babysitting style.

"Can we go through?" Zephyer asked.

"Sure," said Knuckles, stepping back and wiping his forehead. He picked up Chimera in one hand and handed him to Zephyer. "Go with her, and don't you dare bite her."

"I can, you know," said the dragon-chao to Zephyer. "You aren't made of metal anymore. But I won't bite you, because I'm nice."

"And if you do, I'll thrash you," said Zinc from Zephyer's other arm.

Zephyer and Talon stepped onto the lens and beamed out to the island. There was a pile of boxes beside the receiver plate, and the chaotix were busy carrying them up to the house. "Hi Zephyer," said Espio, who was stacking boxes. The chameleon studied her. "Being married hasn't made you look any different."

"Did you expect me to sprout a third eye?" said Zephyer, stepping off the plate and setting down the chao. Talon jumped off the plate and ran up toward the house, the chao pursuing. "Hey, get back down here and carry stuff!" Zephyer yelled after them.

Espio handed her a box. "I figured Knux would have beat the snot out of you by now. You're the only person with the nerve to make him that mad."

"We'll see how the honeymoon goes," said Zephyer. "If he hits me, I'll hit back, that's all."

"If he hits you, he'll kill you," said Espio, lifting a box and picking up another in his prehensile tail. "You aren't robotized anymore."

"I know." Zephyer looked up the path. "Hey, what's Slasher doing here?"

The velociraptor was trotting toward them, her head bobbing like a bird's. "Hello," she said as she reached them. "I got recruited to help move you in." She picked up two boxes in her forearms and strode up toward the house. Zephyer and Espio followed.

With all of them working, the boxes were moved in half an hour. They stacked them in the living room, and Zephyer said, "I'll unpack them when we get back. Thanks, everybody."

"Welcome!" chorused the Chaotix, and stampeded outside, shouting something about the swimming hole. Slasher followed them out the door, leaving Zephyer and Talon alone.

Talon was staring after the raptor. "Slasher scares me."

Zephyer patted his shoulder. "I don't like her much, either." She raised her voice. "Where have those bratty chao gone?"

"In here!" came Chimera's voice from the kitchen. "We're eating lunch."

Talon ran to the kitchen. "What're you having?"

Zephyer left the house and stood on the porch, looking across the lawn and trees to the sea. "I'm here," she thought. "I'm finally home." She felt that roots were growing from her into the island's soil, binding her there like a tree to the earth. Body and soul, she belonged on the Floating Island.

She heard footsteps and saw Knuckles and Slasher walking up the path toward the house. Knuckles was talking, and Slasher was nodding. Her angular, reptilian face was strange to Zephyer, and she could not read the raptor's expression. Knuckles looked serious, and Zephyer wondered what he was saying. Watching him, Zephyer remembered that she was married to him now, and the shock stunned her a little. At first she was afraid, then she felt shy, then she was gloriously happy.

Zephyer watched him as he approached, and met his eyes when he looked up. Something like an electric charge passed between them, then it was gone and Knuckles was stepping up on the porch. "Zeff, I asked Slasher to stay with Talon and Zinc and Chimera while we're gone. Is that okay?"

"Fine with me," said Zephyer, wondering what had just happened. "Slasher, do you think you can manage? I hardly know what to tell you."

"Talon will show me around," said Slasher, her teeth flashing in the sunlight. "And there's the Chaotix if all else fails. Don't worry about a thing."

Zephyer was looking at Slasher's claws and trying not to think, "Predator!" "Come in, I'll tell them what's going on." She looked at Knuckles, who was watching her with amusement. He recognized her uneasiness.

Talon was none too happy with the new arrangements, but tried not to show it. Zinc and Chimera were familiar with Slasher because of her chao Chalcon, and they laughed and promised to give Slasher a hard time.

"Better not act up or I'll eat you both," she threatened with a wink. She waved a three-fingered hand at Knuckles and Zephyer. "Get lost, you two. Everything will be standing when you get back."

"It'd better be," said Knuckles, shaking a fist. "I lost a fight to you once, Slasher. I wouldn't do it again."

"Hear that, guys?" said Slasher to the chao and Talon. "He just said he wouldn't fight me again!"

"You beat Knuckles once?" said Chimera, round-eyed. "How?"

"Well, let me tell you," said Slasher, crouching down to the eyelevel of the chao, "it was a dark and stormy night ..."

Knuckles and Zephyer each had a backpack and a sleeping bag. "What about a tent?" said Zephyer. "You know, if it rains?"

Knuckles gave her a condescending look. "This is the Floating Island, home of the echidna clan for generations. Don't worry about shelter."

They put on their packs and slipped out the back door. "Which way?" asked Zephyer, inhaling the breeze from the ocean.

"Southwest," said Knuckles, leading the way into the trees. "There's plenty to see, and the country's not so rough as in the interior." He motioned to the mountain range in the island's center.

Zephyer gazed at the slopes until the trees hid them from view. "What's up there?"

He flashed her a smile. "Secrets." He took her hand and they walked for a while without speaking, enjoying the woods.

"You don't like Slasher, do you?" said Knuckles suddenly.

"I don't mind her," said Zephyer, disentangling her hair from a twig, "but she kind of scares me. She's so ... animal."

Knuckles laughed. "And we're not? I know what you mean, though."

"I hope Talon's okay with her," said Zephyer. "He's scared of her, too."

"He'll get over it," said Knuckles. "She's a big teddy bear once you get to know her. And she kind of ... I don't know ... she has this ingrown mothering instinct that she lavishes on anybody who will let her."

"Might be good for Talon," muttered Zephyer, trying to picture Slasher with an ingrown mothering instinct. "I hope you know what you're talking about."

They skirted a fallen tree bigger than a semi-truck. They were descending into a marshy valley, and the trees were fewer and larger. "Mushroom Hill," said Zephyer, recognizing it.

"Yep," said Knuckles. "I learned to glide down here."

"Could you teach me?"

He looked at her dreadlocks and stroked them appraisingly. "Maybe. A bit of chaos field is involved, but hey, you're a Guardian now."

"You gave me some of yours, remember?" said Zephyer. "And how hard can gliding be, anyway?"

"That was life I gave you, not chaos," said Knuckles, continuing to stroke her hair. "It's like punching through rock--you can't do it cold turkey."

"So why'd you do your training down here?"

Knuckles kicked at a nearby mushroom. "There's a spot around here where these cover the ground. It's like falling on a mattress."

She looked up to reply, and again that pulse of electricity darted between them. This time Knuckles felt it, and they froze. "What was that?"

"I don't know," said Zephyer. "That's the second time now."

"That was weird!" said Knuckles. "Let's do it again." They looked away and looked at each other several times, but nothing happened. Knuckles rubbed his temples. "One more thing I wish I had asked Dad."

"I never knew any echidnas who had that happen," said Zephyer. "I thought it was love."

Knuckles threw back his head and laughed. "Love! What a concept! Maybe it is. Or maybe it's because we're Guardians. Or maybe we're just nuts." He pulled her into a rough embrace and kissed her on the lips, then they walked on.

"Show me how to glide," said Zephyer.

"Not now," said Knuckles. He ran a finger along her arm, which was scored with fresh scars. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I wouldn't get hurt!" said Zephyer. "I feel fine! And I'd be falling on soft mushrooms, so what's the problem?"

"You were on your deathbed less than two months ago," said Knuckles. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself."

"You're too protective, Knuckles Echidna," said Zephyer, glaring.

"And you're too foolhardy," said Knuckles, glaring back. "Fine, try gliding. You won't be able to do it."

"Show me where the mushrooms are, and I will," said Zephyer.

Knuckles turned right and led her downhill, into the marsh. Crickets sang all around, and gnats rose to meet them in clouds. "This is why I don't come down here much," he said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Here's the spot."

The ground dropped, and reddish-brown mushrooms covered the ground in a twenty-foot circle. Zephyer slipped off her backpack and handed it to Knuckles. "Hold this. I won't be a minute."

Knuckles bit his lips to keep from grinning.

Zephyer strode to the edge of the hollow, shaking her dreadlocks to fan them out. Then she leaped out over the hollow in what she thought was a glide position. But instead of floating on the air, she fell flat on the mushroom bed, which was floating on the surface of a muddy pond. She splashed down in the water and came up gasping for breath.

Knuckles doubled up laughing.

"You!" Zephyer choked, for she had knocked the wind out of herself. "You knew this was a pond!"

Knuckles was laughing too hard to answer.

Zephyer waded ashore, covered in mud and kicking mushrooms out of her way.

"You should have listened to me," said Knuckles, enjoying the look on her face. "Gliding is harder than it looks." Then he turned and ran for his life as she charged at him.

* * *

Knuckles and Zephyer had been gone ten minutes when Talon slipped out of the house and ran north, toward the hills. He gained the cover of the trees, struck a thin trail, and followed it up a hillside. He crested the hill and bounded down its side toward the outskirts of a bamboo forest. Every few years Knuckles attacked it with various weed killers, but the bamboo persisted in spreading across the island.

When Talon had first come to the Floating Island, he had discovered a sofa-sized boulder on the border of the bamboo. In the three years he had lived there, the bamboo had encircled the boulder for ten feet in all directions, and only Talon knew it was there.

The anteater pushed through the stiff green stems of the bamboo, knowing it was time to borrow a machete to hack a clear path again. It took all of his strength to force himself to the boulder. He climbed up on it, panting. The bamboo formed a deep green hollow all around the stone, the tops meeting overhead. It was like a secret cave, and while Talon sat there, no one on Mobius knew where he was. It was a pleasant thought.

He drew his knees to his chin and gazed at the bamboo curtain around him. Everything had changed suddenly, and he wasn't sure he liked it. Knuckles had married Zephyer, and she had come to live on the island. It seemed the very atmosphere of the island had changed. Talon liked Zephyer and wanted Knuckles to marry her, but he had not realized how it would affect his own life. Now there were strangers in the house.

Slasher was the strangest of all. Talon was acquainted with her from his time in Knothole, but he disliked her claws, and her leathery skin, and her green eyes with their slit pupils. He felt he had to watch her all the time, because if he turned his back she would eat him. But he despised himself to feeling such things. The chao trusted the raptor (and they were much more fragile than he was), then why couldn't he?

He just couldn't, that was all. Talon slid off the rock and reached into a hollow under the boulder. Inside were a collection of action figures that he had bought in the human colonies. He began to play with them, making them venture out into the bamboo where harrowing adventures awaited them. In this way he escaped from the discomforts of his own world for a while.

After an hour he tired of his solitary play, and decided to spy on the house to see what was going on. He pushed his way out of the bamboo and retraced his steps up the hill and down the path toward home. As the house came into view, Talon left the path and crept through the trees so as to avoid being seen. The yard was empty. Talon stood and watched, wondering where everyone was.

A shadow fell over the grass, and Talon looked up, shrinking back into the trees. Slasher was circling overhead, her golden wings open in a glide. Talon watched as she circled lower and lower, finally landing on the lawn. As she folded her wings, he saw Zinc and Chimera in her arms. Their shrill voices reached him, begging for another ride. "Not now," Slasher laughed, which was a harsh croaking in her throat. She set them down and trotted around the corner of the house, the chao racing after her. Talon watched them go. He had forgotten that Slasher could fly; was nowhere safe from her?

"Boo!"

Talon jumped a foot in the air and spun around. Espio's outline appeared against the brush, and he shaded into sight, grinning. "Gotcha."

"Don't do that," gasped Talon.

"What's the matter?" said the chameleon. "Watching ferocious predators make you nervous?"

"What are you doing here?" asked Talon, avoiding the question.

"Sneaking," said Espio. "Keeping an eye on things, you might say. I didn't think you got along with Slasher very well."

"No." Talon looked toward the house. "Can I stay with the Chaotix until Knuckles and Zephyer get back?"

"Sorry kiddo," said Espio, slapping him on the back. "Knux didn't want us torturing you when he wasn't around to supervise." Talon gave him a skeptical look, and Espio grinned. "Really, those were his exact words. 'You guys better not pick on Talon or I'll bust your heads.'"

Talon nodded. "I wish he'd get back soon."

"Separation anxiety alert!" said Espio, waving his arms. "Doctor, doctor, we have a patient over here!"

Talon only looked at him.

Espio sobered. "Sorry, Talon. It was just a joke. You know. I do that."

Talon turned away, and Espio kicked himself. The oddest things made Talon shut down, and Knuckles had warned all of them in private that if any of them pushed Talon to that point, then Knuckles would think of a harmless yet awful punishment for them. Espio hated to think of what that might be.

Talon dashed toward the house, reached it unmarked by Slasher, and slipped inside. Espio watched him go, wondering whether he felt sorry for Talon or wanted to string him up by his ears. Probably the latter.

* * *

Slasher did not see Talon until sundown, when he emerged from hiding to eat dinner. Slasher tried to speak to him, but he avoided her gaze and fled from the house as soon as the meal was over.

It hurt her to see him act that way, but she pretended to ignore it. The chao constantly wanted to play, and thus she had no time to chase after Talon and talk to him. He would have to warm up to her on his own.

That night the chao begged her to sleep in their room, but Slasher refused. "I'm going to sleep in the living room. I can stretch out." She bade them goodnight and closed their door, and padded to Talon's room. A single sniff informed her the room was empty. She sighed and returned to the living room, flopping on the rug. Her wings needed preening after all the flying she had done that day, and she extended one and began straightening the feathers with her teeth. The house was quiet, and she could hear the voices of the chao in their room.

A long primary feather pulled loose, and Slasher laid it on the floor and looked at it. She was due to moult her winter plumage, a process she dreaded. She was a month overdue, and her old feathers were thin and ragged around the edges. The new feathers would smart and itch as they grew.

She continued preening, making a pile of feathers that fell out. The chao would enjoy playing with the big ones--after all, it wasn't every day you received a raptor feather.

The front door eased open. Slasher ignored it and went on with her preening. Talon's brown and black face peered in, and he watched her for several minutes. When the velociraptor gave no sign she saw him, he slipped inside and sprinted for his room. "Goodnight, Talon," said Slasher before the door closed. She heaved a sigh and set to work on her other wing.

* * *

Knuckles and Zephyer were up before dawn the next morning. They hiked to the outer edge of the island and watched the sun rise over the mainland, and faced the cool breeze. "Fair weather," said Zephyer, inhaling. "For today and tomorrow, at least."

"There'll be some wind," said Knuckles, also breathing the air. "Looks like you'll get some lessons in using the Master Emerald."

Zephyer's eyes lit up. "Really? All right!" She looked at her hands out of habit, and laughed to see they were not metal. "I still haven't got used to this," she said, taking Knuckles's hand. She looked out at the horizon, and Knuckles studied her face. There was a thinness about the hollows of her face that showed she had not recovered from the traumatic derobotization. Zephyer had to heal in her own way, and it might take several years for her to bounce back.

She looked at him. "What're you looking so sober for?"

"Sober?" said Knuckles brushing away his worries. "I was just wondering where to go today."

"Wherever's closest," said Zephyer. "Hopefully somewhere with a teleporter, so we can visit Hidden Palace."

"Emerald addict."

Zephyer bowed. "So I am. And I married a bigger one."

Knuckles grinned. "I can't deny it. Let's see ... the nearest teleporter is in Marble Gardens, about two day's walk from here."

"Then let's get moving," said Zephyer, hoisting her pack.

They were deep in the Mushroom Hills, and giant silver trees rose above them like pillars, sheltering the mushrooms beneath them. The previous day Zephyer and Knuckles had had a raging mudfight until they were coated in it. Then they found a stream that wound down into the marsh and washed. They camped beside the stream that evening, because there were fewer flies and the air was more wholesome.

Now the Guardians hiked on, Knuckles pointing out things that only a Guardian would care about. Which trees had survived the terbium blight. Which mushrooms were rare, and which ones were edible. The tree where he had carved his initials when he was seven.

They hiked the rest of the day, resting whenever Zephyer began to tire. The trees shrank and thinned out, and the mushrooms vanished. Before them stretched the green, rolling country of Marble Gardens, once a major echidna city, but now only a ruin falling to dust.

"Why did they abandon it?" Zephyer asked as they made camp that night. She stood at the top of a hill, watching the setting sun outline the distant ruins in gold.

Knuckles was lighting their campfire. "It dates back to Pachachamac's time. He was chief of the mainland tribe, and he led a rebellion against the Guardian tribe on the island. Except he tried to take the Master Emerald and ticked off Chaos." He blew on the smouldering tinder and watched the flames grow. "Chaos killed everyone in Marble Gardens and all the lowland cities."

"How sad." Zephyer stood looking at the ancient city until the sun sank from view, then descended the hill to their camp. "Nobody ever tried to rebuild it?"

"No." Knuckles sat back and looked at her. "The Guardians thought it should be left as a warning to all the tribes. That was when they moved the Master Emerald to Hidden Palace."

"I'm surprised there's any ruins left," said Zephyer, opening her pack and rummaging around for food. "How many thousands of years has it been?"

"Only one thousand," said Knuckles, gazing into the fire. "When all that stuff happened with Tikal and Perfect Chaos ... she let me see into the past. The echidna glory days. We're the last of a species, Zephyer. Those glory days are long gone."

Zephyer looked at Knuckles in surprise--she had never heard him talk like this. "No need to get all melancholy," she said. "I never realized you knew so much history."

"It's something to do," said Knuckles.

She handed him a toasting fork and a slice of bread. "Here, toast this. What you need is food."

He gave her a quick smile. "Thanks, Zeff."

* * *

Slasher lay in the brush, hidden from all eyes. She was up the hill from Chaotix Central, where the Chaotix were having a barbecue. She could smell the roasting steaks, and her mouth watered. But for the moment she needed a break from babysitting the chao, and Talon needed a break from her. She watched him running around down below as Vector warned him away from the barbecue.

Supposedly the Chaotix were having a party to celebrate Knuckles being gone, but she knew they all missed him. Charmy had marked a calender with a red X on the day the newlyweds would return. Slasher had noticed each of the Chaotix sneaking up to the calender to count the remaining days, and she felt sorry for them.

Earlier that day, she had entered the house for a snack, and heard voices in Talon's room. She looked in and saw Talon and Mighty the armadillo seated in opposite chairs, books and papers strewn all over the bed beside them. Talon was bent over a mathbook, and Mighty was explaining how to work a pre-algebra problem. Slasher slipped away, impressed. It seemed that Talon's schooling had not been neglected.

Slasher watched the crocodile inspect the steaks, and licked her chops. The Floating Island's inhabitants rarely ate meat, but Vector always had some frozen steaks somewhere in case of an emergency. Slasher was glad he had brought them out--plant food was all right, but she needed protein to sustain her carnivorous body.

Vector slapped the slabs of juicy meat on a plate and bellowed, "Hey Slasher! Dinner!"

The raptor sprang out of hiding and ran down the hill, teeth shining in a grin. Espio, Charmy and Mighty scattered with mock screams, and Vector pretended to ward her off with the tongs. "Back! Back, monster!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have called the monster's name," said Slasher. "Can I have one now?"

"Sure," said Vector, lifting a steak in his tongs.

Slasher grabbed the steak in her claws, ripped off a chunk in her teeth, swallowed it whole, and finished the rest of the steak in three bites.

"Still hungry?" said Vector, watching in admiration.

"Sure," said Slasher, devouring a second steak. She licked the juice off her claws and sighed with satisfaction. "Ahh, that was good." She gave Vector a slanted look. "Bet you can't eat two steaks that fast."

"Bet I can!" Vector grabbed a steak and ripped it in half with his jaws, but had to chew a few times before swallowing. "Gosh Slash," he said, licking his teeth, "how do you do that?"

"Habit," said Slasher. "I've got to go wash now. I'll come back for dessert." She trotted away across the lawn in the direction of the river.

"We have dessert?" said Charmy.

"Yeah, you," said Espio. "Come on, let's eat. Where's Talon and Zinc and Chimera?"

"Cowering indoors," said Vector, carrying the remaining two steaks into the house.

Talon had watched all this through a window, but pretended he hadn't. He and the chao were taking turns cranking an old-fashioned ice cream maker, and it was wearing them out. Then Mighty entered and took over. "You wimps!" he said, turning the crank easily.

"It's almost done," shot back Chimera. "I can smell it. You're just too strong."

"There's no such thing as too strong," said Mighty. He pulled the crank handle out of its socket and held it up. "Oh no, I broke it! Must mean the ice cream's done."

"See, I told you it's done!" crowed Chimera as Vector entered with the steaks.

Dinner was a noisy affair. The Chaotix were extra-outgoing to make up for Knuckles's absence. Talon tried to enjoy it, but was listening for the click of claws on the front porch, and the squeak of the opening door. He kept thinking of the television program he had watched with Tails about a Mobian going feral. Slasher ate like an animal, and spent a lot of time by herself ... what if she started hunting them? What if she attacked one of the chao like she had the steak and--

Talon nearly jumped out of his seat as Slasher entered the kitchen through the back door. "You guys ready for dessert?"

"Yeah!" chorused everyone except Talon. Charmy and Mighty got up to serve the ice cream, and Talon slid down in his seat to avoid the velociraptor's gaze.

Slasher laughed and joked with the rest of them over dessert, sometimes speaking to Talon. He cringed whenever she glanced at him, and was relieved when the meal was over. Slasher took Chimera outside, and Talon, Zinc and Charmy washed the dishes.

"She won't eat you, you know," said Charmy Bee.

Talon's ears flattened. "I know. But she still scares me."

"You have to get to know her," said the silver chao, polishing a plate as tall as he was. "And if she still scares you, look at her chao Chalcon. Only a kind heart could have pulled him out of himself like she did."

Talon thought of the silent undersea base where Chalcon had been mortally wounded, and where Talon himself had nearly perished. The period after that was a blur, and he couldn't remember seeing Slasher at all. But somehow Chalcon had rehatched as a snow-white chao, bigger and stronger than all the rest.

Talon put away the last dish and sidled toward his room, but Charmy darted after him. "Come outside with us, Talon! It's a beautiful evening."

"You're not my dad," murmured Talon, but he allowed the bee to lead him out of the house. As he stepped onto the grass, he missed his mother and father so bad it was like being twisted in half. "I don't belong here," he thought, looking at the Chaotix with stranger's eyes. "I want to go home." But he didn't have a home anymore--his parents were dead and their house burned. And he didn't want to go back, not to his old horrid life, not really.

He blinked back tears and drifted toward the edges of the lawn. Escaping the Chaotix was easy, if he remained inconspicuous. He circled the base of a tree, then keeping it between him and the others, slipped into the evening shadows of the wood.

* * *

The days passed. Slasher tried and failed to befriend Talon, and the Chaotix helped the raptor look after things.

Knuckles and Zephyer hiked all the way to Sandopolis. Along the way Knuckles showed Zephyer the old broken emerald shrine, how to use one of the hovertops, and the inlet for water from Hydrocity. They entered the desert and explored the ruins there. Knuckles introduced Zephyer to the secret library, and they spent a day pouring through the old manuscripts and the pile of notebooks containing Knuckles's translations.

Zephyer drank it in like a sponge. Every day was like living in a dream; she was with Knuckles, on the Floating Island ... and she was a Guardian now! Sometimes it worried her, especially as she was falling asleep at night. Happiness like this had to have a catch. Reality would rear its ugly head, and she would find out that she wasn't allowed to marry him, or the island would crash, or someone would die.

As they were leaving Sandopolis, Zephyer voiced this fear. Knuckles laughed out loud. "Why should anything have to happen? People get married every day, Zeff. There's no penalty for being happy."

"There is for me," said Zephyer. "Every time I'm really happy, the world blows up. Just watch."

"You're just paranoid," said Knuckles, grinning.

That evening a storm blew in out of the west, and it began to rain so hard it was like standing under a waterfall. They saw it coming, however, and ran to the nearest teleporter. They reached it as the rain began, but in the few seconds it took for the machine to warm up, the echidnas were soaked through.

They beamed down in a dark cave lit by a single yellow crystal, and stood panting and dripping in the sudden silence.

"Well," said Zephyer, "now I know to pack a raincoat, no matter what you say."

"I didn't advise against a raincoat," said Knuckles, kneeling to adjust the teleporter's setting. "Just a tent. Looks like we'll be camping underground tonight."

The teleporter lit up again and transported them to the high teleporter hall outside of Hidden Palace. As they stepped off the receiver plate, Zephyer asked, "What was that other place we were in?"

"Storage cavern," said Knuckles, wringing out his dreadlocks one by one. "Let's walk down to Lava Reef, it's warmer there."

The damp pair strolled through the crystal gardens and grottos, toward the heat radiating from the molten core of the Floating Island. They reached an antechamber with a small lava pool in one end, which was so hot their fur began to steam at once. They lingered only a few minutes, then bolted for the coolness of the higher passages.

"Can we camp in Hidden Palace?" Zephyer asked, eyes dancing.

"Sure," said Knuckles leading the way. "I'll show you some more Master Emerald commands, too."

Staying in Hidden Palace was luxurious after camping out in the wild. The rock around the emerald chamber was riddled with tunnels and caves. Some had caved in over the years, but some Knuckles had cleaned out and reinforced. Knuckles showed Zephyer two rooms he used for storage, but he became oddly quiet when she asked about a third room.

She walked in for a look, and found it was stacked to the ceiling with crates marked 'weapons'.

"Weapons?" exclaimed Zephyer, turning and staring at her husband. "What do you need weapons for?"

"Stockpiled them after the ARK incident," said Knuckles. "If a thief gets to the emerald chamber again, I'm not messing around."

Zephyer looked at him with new respect. "You make me wish I still had that pistol in my hand. Where'd you get all these?"

Knuckles avoided her eyes. "The island floats over a lot of territory."

"Ahh," said Zephyer with a knowing nod. "I pity the fool who tries to break in here now."

Knuckles led her back to the emerald chamber, uncomfortable with talk of weapons and semi-shady dealings. "I'll show you how to stabilize the Floating Island," he said. "Watch." He placed one hand on the green gem and said, "Master Emerald, stabilization anchor." The emerald lit with yellowish light.

"No skill involved," he explained. "It wears off after a few days, so if you want to keep the island stationary for longer than that, you have to come back and repeat the command." He touched the Master Emerald again and said, "Free." The emerald dimmed.

"Let me try it," said Zephyer, stepping up to the pedestal. She mimicked Knuckles's actions, and the emerald's response was the same.

"There's also an island defense command," said Knuckles. "I just found out about it. Apparently the Master funnels all its power into the Guardians so they can wipe out any enemies that might be threatening the island."

Zephyer looked at him. "Have you ever tried it?"

He smiled sheepishly. "I don't have the nerve."

"Is there a users' manual somewhere, where I could learn all these commands?"

"Nope," said Knuckles. "One of the Guardian laws is that no Master Emerald commands may be written down in one place. Imagine if they fell into the wrong hands!"

"I didn't think of that."

Knuckles stepped down from the pedestal and opened their backpacks. "Where do you want to sleep?"

"Right here," said Zephyer. "As close to the heart of the island as we can get."

Knuckles gave her an odd look. "Heart of the island?"

"Sure," said Zephyer, as if it was something everyone knew. "The Master Emerald is what makes the Floating Island what it is." She rubbed its smooth top as Knuckles unrolled their sleeping bags. She looked down at the seed crystal bed around its base, and wondered how much of the Master's power they had absorbed. She touched one, and its green glow flickered. She teased its pointed tip without paying attention to what she was doing. The shock of a wetting, then being suddenly warm and dry, had made her drowsy.

"Zephyer!"

She jumped and looked around. "Huh?"

Knuckles rose from their packs, staring. "How are you doing that?"

Zephyer looked down and saw the crystal she had been teasing was six inches longer than before. "Whoa. Did I do that?"

"Yeah." Knuckles touched the crystal, but nothing happened. "Do it again."

She touched the tip again, and the crystal resumed growing like a time-lapsed video of grass.

"I think you've rediscovered a trick of the ancients," said Knuckles in awe.

Zephyer watched the crystal grow, fascinated. "I'll bet this is how they made the Emerald Sword." She released the crystal. "Think I can do it to other crystal colors?"

They two snatched some snacks and ate while they wandered through the lower caverns. All the crystals responded to Zephyer's touch, even ordinary quartz. Knuckles remembered something he had read a long time ago--the abilities of female echidnas were different from the males. Females were not warriors, but craftsmen and artisans.

At last they returned to Hidden Palace and crawled into their sleeping bags. "That's a nice thing to do," said Zephyer, yawning. "But I'd rather glide, like you."

Knuckles gazed at the ceiling. "I'm glad you can force-grow crystals. It's a lost art."

They were silent a moment, each busy with their thoughts.

"What day is it?" asked Zephyer.

"Friday, I think," said Knuckles. "Gosh, time flies."

"Friday?" said Zephyer. "As in, the honeymoon's over tomorrow?" Knuckles shrugged, and she heaved a sigh. "Oh well, at least we had fun. Tomorrow, real life starts. Do you want to try to adopt Talon?"

Knuckles hesitated a second, shifting his brain to this sudden new subject. "Uh. Yes. I don't know anything about adoption, though."

"I think we have to work with the laws of the country he's from," said Zephyer. "Do we know where he's from?"

Knuckles wracked his brain. Talon's explanations of his previous home had been vague and elusive. "I have an idea he's from somewhere in the Ausif ocean. He was flying northwest when he got here."

"There's a jillion islands down there," said Zephyer, frowning. "We'll have to ask him which one."

"Easier said than done," said Knuckles, placing both hands behind his head. "The kid doesn't talk about his past. All I know is that his parents died in an arson fire."

"I know," said Zephyer. "He needs a stable home, and I think we can give that to him."

They talked about the pros and cons of adopting Talon, and of what things an adoption agency might ask. Zephyer finally dozed off, but Knuckles lay awake for a long time, listening to her breathe and thinking about the future.



25. No Echidna is an Island: Chapter 3: Blackguard Island
by NetRaptor
Chapter 3: Blackguard Island
______________________________________________________________________

"You want to adopt me?" Talon sat up straight.

It was two days later. Knuckles and Zephyer had arrived home, and in the flurry of unpacking and settling in, it was their first chance to talk to the anteater alone.

"Like, you want me to be your kid?" Talon's eyes were wide with wild hope, his usual reserve abandoned.

"That's what we're saying," said Knuckles. "I know living on a floating island is kind of lonesome, but we'll make sure to feed you every few days."

Talon burst out laughing, jumped up and hugged them both. "I'd love to be adopted! I thought maybe you wouldn't want me here now and you'd send me to Knothole and--" His voice broke on a sob. He sat between the echidnas on the couch, eyes closed, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that had caught him off guard.

Zephyer hugged him. "We really want you, Tal." She glanced at Knuckles, who met her gaze and a flicker of electricity raced between them.

Ignoring it, Knuckles put an arm around Talon. "We need to ask you some questions, so we can figure out this adoption stuff."

Talon sniffed. "Okay. What?"

Zephyer picked up a notebook and pencil she had brought with her. "Where are you from?"

"Three-twenty-nine East Boulder Lane," said Talon at once. "Marshill, Blackguard, north island."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," said Zephyer, scribbling furiously. "East what?"

Talon repeated the address. "That's where I lived with my uncle."

Zephyer copied it down. "What's your uncle's name?"

"Pendel Mori." Talon laced his fingers together and studied them. "He's my Dad's brother. Do you think he'll sign the papers or whatever?"

"If he won't, I'll make him," said Knuckles. "Can you show us Blackguard Island on a map?" He pulled a map out from under the couch and spread it on the coffee table.

Talon studied it for a moment. "Here." He tapped a collection of islands in the southern corner of the map. The north-most island was the largest.

"Oh," said Knuckles. "So that's Blackguard." He had such an odd tone in his voice that Zephyer and Talon looked at him.

"Have you been there?" asked Talon.

"Heard the stories," said Knuckles. He traced a four-sided shape among the islands. "That's the Blackguard Quadrangle. Ships and aircraft travelling through there have weird blackouts. Some vanish completely."

"Really?" said Zephyer, wide-eyed. "Is that true?"

Talon was nodding. "I've heard of that, too, sir. Dad said it's the place where a chaos emerald touched Mobius, and the chaos fields are all messed up."

"I think we'll approach it from the north," said Knuckles. "I'm not taking the island in there."

"How long will it take to get there?" asked Talon.

Knuckles walked his fingers across the map, measuring. "About two weeks. We'll have time to do some research on adoption."

"Can I do it?" asked Talon, standing up, eyes bright with enthusiasm. "If I could borrow your computer, sir ..."

"Ah, a ploy to grab my palmtop," said Knuckles, smiling. "Fine, go ahead."

Talon dashed from the room.

Zephyer looked at the map again. "Is this quadrangle stuff for real?"

"Let me put it this way," said Knuckles. "Even humans are afraid to go through there. They route all their shipping lanes around it."

"But humans are immune to chaos," said Zephyer as Talon came back in with Knuckles's computer. The anteater curled up in an armchair opposite the couch and sat there, eyes fixed on the screen.

"I know they are," said Knuckles. "But their instruments aren't. If you're in an airplane and your instruments break, you're toast."

"Not the ideal vacation spot," said Zephyer. "Do you think Slasher would mind going with us?"

Talon's head jerked up.

"Why Slasher?" said Knuckles. "I thought she scared you."

"She does," said Zephyer, "but she's done a lot of political work, and face it, she's scary-looking."

"True." Knuckles looked at Talon. "Find anything?"

"Not yet, sir." Talon's voice dropped. "I'm afraid of Slasher, too."

"You guys and your predator-phobia," said Knuckles, shaking his head. "She's harmless. Really."

"Famous last words," said Zephyer.

Knuckles stood up. "I'm going to talk to her. You guys see what you can dig up on adoption." He strode for the door, muttering about species supremists.

He found Slasher outside, sunning herself on the grass with both wings open. He was startled to see that patches of feathers were missing from her wings. "Slash, are you sick?"

"Hmm?" She lifted her head and blinked at him. "Oh no, just moulting. You want something?"

"We're going to adopt Talon," said Knuckles. "I wondered if you'd come along and help out."

"I'll call Knothole and see if they mind," said the raptor, eyes half-closed. "It shouldn't be a problem. Oh ... could you talk to Talon for me? He thinks I'm planning to eat him."

"I've tried," said Knuckles with a sigh. "He doesn't believe me."

Slasher shook her head. "Looks like I'll have another chance to make friends if I stay. I'll see if Sally has time to collect some adoption info." She extended a forearm, which had a communicator strapped to it. Slasher turned it on and waited for a pickup click. After a moment it did, and Sonic's voice said, "Yeah, what?"


"I need to talk to Sally," said Slasher. "What's with you?"

"I'm helping Sal with this paperwork junk," came Sonic's voice, "and I'm about to go nuts! Sal's getting lunch. I can take a message."

"Tell Sally to scrape up some information about adoption procedures," said Slasher. She covered the microphone and whispered to Knuckles, "Where are we going?"

"Blackguard Islands," said the echidna.

Slasher uncovered the mic. "Particularly relating to the Blackguard Islands."

"You guys are going to the Blackguard Quadrangle?" Sonic yelped. "Man, lucky!"

"We're not going to explore," said Slasher. "Just a boring piece of red tape to work out. I'll send you a postcard."

"I'm gonna get you, Slasher."

"Neener neener. I'll leave my com on. Bye." The raptor closed the connection and yawned. "Nope, not a problem. It's nice and tropical down there, right?"

"Blackguard is right on the equator," said Knuckles. "You don't mind hot weather, do you?"

"It's better than snow," said Slasher. "I'll tell you when Sally calls me back."

"Okay." Knuckles stepped up on the porch and stuck his head in the door. "I'm going to run to Hidden Palace and get my Master Emerald miniature."

"I want to come!" said Zephyer, jumping up. "Be back in a few minutes, Talon." She darted to Knuckles and the pair made for the teleporter.

Talon stayed in his chair, clicking through online searches and documents. Adoption was an easy topic to find out about. There were several agencies for adopting babies, and he glanced over the procedures. The family had to be approved, fill out piles of paperwork, have someone do a home study, and finally wait for the adoption agency to negotiate with a neighboring country for a youngster of the right species.

Right species? He dug deeper. A note on one document informed him that this agency did not support inter-species adoption because the parents would not treat the child as their own, or the child would grow up with an identity complex. Talon looked for other agencies with a growing knot in his stomach. Each one had a similar disclaimer. One, however, admitted that adoption within the same genus sometimes worked.

Talon clung to this thread of hope. Anteaters and echidnas were sort of similar ... he wasn't sure if they were in the same genus or not. He had no doubt that Zephyer and Knuckles would take care of him, but convincing people in authority would be different.

As he sat there, chewing a claw, the door opened and Slasher entered. "Oh, hi Talon," she said. "Is Zephyer here?"

"She went with Knuckles," said Talon, watching her warily.

Slasher gestured to her communicator. "Sally called me back. She had Nicole compile a spider-search and she's sending it to Knuckles's email."

Talon looked at the palmtop and opened the message program. A message from Sally appeared. "Got it." Now go away, he thought.

Slasher walked up and leaned her forearms on the back of the couch. "Are you okay with all this?"

He nodded.

"Do they let people adopt outside their species?"

Talon stared at the floor. "They say it doesn't work, and they discourage it. But one place says that sometimes adoptions within genus are allowed."

Slasher nodded. "We might be able to swing that. I don't know what genus echidnas are in, but you've always got along with them, right?"

Talon nodded. He opened Sally's letter and scrolled through pages and pages of information. Most of it related to Blackguard's laws and regulations pertaining to emigration, passports and visas. He ignored Slasher, willing her to leave. After a moment she sighed, and he heard her pad to the door and go outside.

Talon was still in the chair when Knuckles and Zephyer returned, passing the Master Emerald miniature back and forth and chattering. "Any word?" said Knuckles to Talon, tossing the gem up and down.

"Sally emailed you," said Talon, handing him the palmtop.

Knuckles looked at the text and whistled. "She's thorough, isn't she? Zeff, look at all this."

"Good grief," said Zephyer. "I can guide the island while you read it, if you want."

"You're just after my emerald," said Knuckles with a mock glare.

"Our emerald," Zephyer shot back. "Hand it over."

Knuckles made a big show of giving it to her, bowing and kissing her hand before placing the emerald in it.

Zephyer laughed and held the emerald southward. Talon felt nothing, but Knuckles had to grab the couch for support. "Crazy female driver."

"Going to harp on my driving skills, now?" said Zephyer.

"Heaven forbid," said Knuckles, flopping on the couch and holding up the computer.

Talon watched them with a warm feeling. He had never seen either of them so relaxed, and he liked it.

* * *

The weather warmed up as they travelled south. Knuckles guided the island into the north-south jetstream, and for four days the island was buffeted by roaring winds that drove it south at a constant speed of twenty knots.

They dropped out of the jetstream at the equator and moved southeast. Knuckles took to navigating from the top of the island's highest peak, where he could see the horizon in all directions. He taught Zephyer to use a sextant, and every night she took measurements from the stars, and marked their location on a map. Travelling with the Floating Island was like sailing a giant ship--the winds effected their progress, and the stars were their compass.

Talon was pensive and quiet. As every day carried them closer to Blackguard, his fears began to grow. What if he had to go back? What if the government wouldn't let the echidnas adopt him? What if Kit was there? Talon had lived in terror of his older cousins, who had set the fire that killed his parents. Kardot had perished a few years earlier, but Kit was still out there and probably crazier than ever. Talon was ashamed to admit these fears to anyone, and so spoke less and less as the weather grew hot and the constellations changed.

One day about noon Knuckles returned to the house. "Land ho," he said as he walked in.

Zephyer was sitting at the kitchen table with a pile of books and papers, teaching Talon the basics of Old Mobian. "We're there?" said Zephyer. "Great. Now what?"

"We'll need to get some passports made up," said Knuckles. "I don't know about you, Talon. You're a citizen with no papers."

Talon said nothing, but his ears flattened.

Vector the crocodile poked his head in from the living room. "Hey boss, I could do all that for you."

Knuckles turned in surprise. "You could?"

"Sure!" said Vector. "It's not big deal with these island places, anyway. Lots of people come and go. Can I borrow one of the portable teleporters?"

Knuckles dug one out of a cabinet. Portable teleporters were the size of a dinner plate with four spider-like arms that planted into the ground for support. They had two lenses--one inside, and one outside. Once a person teleported, the unit beamed after them ten seconds later. They were a quick, convenient way to travel from the island and back.

Vector called Espio, Charmy and Mighty to the house. "I'm going ashore to get passports and stuff. Want to go?"

"I do!" Charmy said. "I already have a passport."

"Me too," said Espio, holding up a grimy paper with twelve stamps in it.

"I didn't know you travelled, Espio," said Zephyer.

The chameleon's eyes half-closed. "Knuckles made us all register to get them when we came to live here. So we can go ashore anywhere without trouble." He gave Knuckles a sidelong glance, and Zephyer wondered if the Chaotix had helped Knuckles collect those weapons in Hidden Palace.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" said Charmy. "Let's go!" The bee raced out of the house, and the Chaotix trooped after him, Vector carrying the teleporter under one arm. Knuckles watched them go, hands on his hips. "They need a little shore-leave. Have either of you guys seen Slasher today?"

"Not since this morning," said Zephyer. "She told me that this hot weather has made her nocturnal. She sleeps all day."

Talon felt the fur on his back stand up.

Knuckles shrugged. "Good idea. It's cooler at night. I'm going to fine-tune the island's position." He strode out into the sunlight.

* * *

"This makes my thirteenth stamp," said Espio, examining his passport.

Mighty, Charmy and Espio were sitting on a bench in a walled courtyard in the dappled shade of a magnolia. Vector was inside the building to their backs, collecting paperwork to take back to the Floating Island.

"My thirteenth, too," said Mighty.

Charmy glanced at his passport. "This is only my ninth. How come you guys have so many?"

"The point is, we're going to have bad luck," said Espio, his skin shading a dark purple. "I mean, we're just north of the Blackguard Quadrangle, and do you know what Blackguard means?"

"It was named Blacksand until the Siguards came," said Mighty, looking bored.

"It's another word for villain!" exclaimed Espio.

"Really?" said Charmy, swinging his feet. "Do villains come here on vacation?"

"Probably." Espio looked suspiciously at the people walking past the courtyard gate. There were many reptiles, birds and marsupials, and although they were exotic-looking, they looked no more shady than the Chaotix did.

Vector emerged from the adobe building with two manila envelopes. "Got 'em," he said. "Let's cruise around before we go back."

The four trotted out of the courtyard and into the hot street. It was paved with gravel, and low adobe houses lined the sidewalks. Jungle growth was everywhere--palm trees, vines, creepers, flowers, all growing wherever the inhabitants would allow them to take root.

The Chaotix walked until the sun's heat began to overwhelm them, then they stopped in the shade of an awning. "Hey," said Vector, "do you guys want to try to find Talon's uncle's house?"

"Sure," said Mighty. "Do we know the address?"

As one, they looked at Espio. The chameleon looked shifty. "What makes you think I know it?"

"You know everything you're not supposed to," said Vector. "Come on, Espie. I know you know it."

"Three twenty-nine East Boulder Lane, Marshill, Blackguard," recited Espio. "We're in Marshill, aren't we?"

"Yup!" chorused the others.

"Charmy," said Vector, "mind finding a map for us?"

"Aye aye sir," said the bee, and buzzed away into the street. He returned five minutes later, looking triumphant. "Just act like a tourist and everybody helps you!" He opened the map, and everyone gathered around.

"There," said Mighty after a second. "East Boulder Lane. It's all the way across town, though!"

"Big deal," said Espio. "We'll get a good look at Marshill on the way. Let's go before it gets any hotter."

The Chaotix set out across the town, growing thirsty and uncomfortable as the sun beat down on them. They saw fewer and fewer people, as the inhabitants retired indoors to sleep through the hottest hours of the day. "That sounds like a good idea," said Mighty, wiping perspiration from his face.

"You wimpy mammal," said Espio. "We reptiles don't mind the heat, do we, Vector?"

"It's not too bad," said the crocodile. "I'm just worried it's making you hyper."

"Hyper? Me?" said the chameleon. "Perish the thought! Can we walk faster? I'm bored."

"How can you be bored when there's so many flowers around?" said Charmy. "It's like walking through a fancy restaurant!" His antennae waved as they passed a riot of yellow and red flowers.

East Boulder Lane was on the island's east side, running along the top of a bluff overlooking the ocean. "Behold the Blackguard Quadrangle!" said Vector, gesturing to it. "Imagine ... that's the direction Talon went when he ran away."

"The kid must have been desperate," said Espio, gazing out at the tranquil blue sea. It looked no different from any other stretch of water they had seen, and they walked on, keeping to the sides of the road where overhanging trees cast shade.

"Three twenty-nine," said Charmy, pointing. "There it is."

A steep driveway ran up the hill above them, and set back into the hillside was a sprawling white house with a red tile roof. Trees shaded most of the house, and the lawn was smooth and green.

"Doesn't look like such a bad place," said Mighty.

"Yes, but who knows what lurks in there?" said Espio, eyes narrowed. "I'm going to sneak up there and look around."

"Isn't that trespassing?" said Mighty.

"Only if you get caught," said Espio, his skin changing to blend with the gravel driveway. He darted up the driveway, keeping to patches of shade where his shadow wouldn't give him away. The others watched him, uncomfortable and nervous.

They lost sight of Espio as he reached the trees near the house, and for a while there was no sign of him. Then they heard his footsteps on the gravel, and the chameleon shaded into view again, panting. "This place is huge," he said. "It's built into the hill and there's at least one story underground. The rear of the property goes way up the hill into the jungle, and there's some sheds and stuff back there. I want to see inside the house. Any ideas?"

The Chaotix looked at each other. They all wanted to see the mysterious place that Talon had fled from and still wouldn't talk about.

"Well," said Vector, opening one of his manila envelopes, "we need Mr. Mori's signature that he's Talon's legal guardian so Talon can re-enter the country as a citizen."

"Perfect!" said Espio, grabbing the envelope. He would have darted off, but Mighty grabbed his tail.

"Hold it, buster. Better let me do it. I'm a mammal, and I look more respectable than a chameleon."

Espio grudgingly turned over the envelope, and Mighty led the way up the driveway to the house.

They reached the porch, and Mighty rang the doorbell. They heard a chime far back in the house. It was echoed by a deep rumbling like the growl of an enormous lion, and the porch vibrated underfoot. There was a distant slam of a door and the sound stopped. The Chaotix exchanged a look, wide-eyed.

After a few minutes the front door was opened by an anteater wearing glasses and a grimy labcoat. "What can I do for you?" he said, blinking in the sunlight.

Mighty had to swallow before he could speak. "Uh. Yes. We're here on behalf of your nephew, Tal--uh, Konya Mori. The government needs your signature on these documents before they'll let him back into the country."

The anteater took the papers and thumbed through them. "I thought Konya was living with echidnas."

"Well, he is," said Mighty. "They sent us here to collect the papers so they could bring Tal--uh, Konya themselves."

Mr. Mori read the papers, ignoring the growing restlessness of the Chaotix. He kept the door open, and Espio peered inside. The room behind Mori looked disappointingly ordinary; an armchair, some pictures on the walls, gold-flowered wallpaper. There was no sign of anything that made loud, angry growling noises.

"Just a moment," said Mori, retreating into the house.

"What was that sound?" whispered Charmy as soon as they were alone.

"There's more to this place than meets the eye," said Vector. "Shh!"

The anteater returned with a pen. "There, I've signed them. Tell little Konya that he is welcome home whenever he chooses to return." Mori's smile was more like a grimace.

"Um, actually," said Mighty, "the echidnas want to adopt Talon."

"Oh?" said Mori, tilting his head to one side. "How interesting. Perhaps you should have the echidnas talk to me themselves."

Mighty flushed. "Yes sir."

"Thank you for coming," said Mori, closing the door.

"Well, that was exciting," said Espio as they walked back to the road. "Do we really want to hand Talon over to that weirdo?"

"No," chorused the others.

"And what made that noise?" said Vector. "Is the dude breeding monsters in the basement?"

"I'd love to get inside," said Espio, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

"Espio, look at me," said Vector. "Read my lips. N. O. No!"

The group found a wide spot beside the road and set up the portable teleporter. Vector set it to fire four times, and one by one they jumped back to the Floating Island.

Zephyer was waiting for them at the receiver dish. "Well?" she said as they arrived. "Why were you guys gone so long?"

"We hunted down Talon's uncle," said Espio. "Talk about weird! We can't give Talon back to him."

"He signed the guardianship papers," said Vector, showing them to Zephyer. "Talon can get into the country now. But, uh, if you try to bring him back here afterwards, it'll be considered kidnapping."

Zephyer looked at the papers and bit her lip. "We'll have to contact an adoption agency right away."

A shadow fell over them, and they looked up. Knuckles was gliding in a circle overhead. He dropped, landed with a thud and walked up. "Well?" he said, looking at the papers in Zephyer's hands.

Mighty recapped their adventure, including the mysterious growl. He concluded, "The guy doesn't care about kids. He was only being polite. If I was Talon, I'd escape into the Blackguard Quadrangle, too."

Zephyer looked at Knuckles, who drew a deep breath. "Tough or not, we need to do this. There's some ghosts that will haunt a kid his whole life, and I don't want the problem of family hanging over Talon. Did you get the phonebook I asked for?"

Vector hefted the remaining manila envelope, which was two inches thick. "Yep."

"Great. Let's go up to the house, I need to make some calls."

* * *

Over the next two days, the situation went downhill so fast that Zephyer felt like she was riding a rollercoaster down its first drop.

The adoption agency Knuckles called informed him that because the Floating Island was technically a foreign country, and because Talon was living there as a minor without papers of any kind, he was considered a hostage. Please return him to his rightful guardian or we will be forced to take drastic measures against you.

"Talon," said Knuckles, gazing at the phone in his hand, "we have to send you back or they're going to arrest me."

"The adoption agency said that, sir?" said Talon, turning white under his fur.

Zephyer hugged him protectively. "Once you're on Blackguard, they'll work with us. You'll just have to stay with your uncle until we can get this worked out."

"Yeah," said Talon hollowly. "I guess ... I guess I'll go pack." He pulled away from her and went to his room.

Zephyer's mouth worked, and tears stung her eyes. She turned to Knuckles, who looked as if he had been suckerpunched in a fight. "Knux, we're going to fight for him, aren't we?"

He looked up at her, and his face hardened. "Darn right we will."

* * *

That afternoon Knuckles, Zephyer and the Chaotix escorted Talon through customs and back to his old home. Zephyer held his hand as they walked up the driveway, and his hand was icy cold. She whispered, "It'll be all right, Talon."

Talon's eyes were dark with pain and fear as he looked up at her. "I'm losing my family again," he whispered. "Each time I wind up with my uncle. It's horrible."

"I put something in your bag," murmured Zephyer. "So did Knuckles."

Talon looked up at Knuckles, who had not spoken a word for the last hour. As they stepped onto the front porch and rang the doorbell, Talon felt Knuckles's heavy hand on his shoulder.

The door opened, and Talon's uncle stood looking at them. "Hello," said Mori, blinking at the crowd as if the light hurt his eyes. "You must be the echidnas who abducted Talon."

A muscle jumped in Knuckles's jaw. He said through his teeth, "We cared for him, not abducted him. We would like to adopt him."

Mori stood aside for Talon to enter. Talon released Zephyer's hand, but Knuckles gave his shoulder a hard squeeze before letting go. Talon stepped across the threshold into the darkened entry room that he remembered so well, and turned and looked back at the islanders. The same look of anger and grief was reflected in every eye. Knuckles's fists were clenched, and Zephyer's eyes were full of tears. If Talon looked at them one more second he would cry, too, so he turned and carried his suitcase down the hall toward his old room.

As soon as he was gone, Mori's manner changed. "You, Knuckles Echidna, are the vilest of slime for harboring that child for so long without contacting the proper authorities. I will never approve of any adoption, and I have the law on my side. Go back to your floating rock and take your motley horde with you." He slammed the door.

Knuckles looked at Zephyer and the Chaotix, the fury radiating off him like radioactivity. If he had chosen to tear down the door and pummel Mori, none of them would have stopped him.

"What do we do, boss?" growled Vector.

Knuckles's hands opened and closed a few times, as if imagining Mori's neck between them. "I'm going to find the meanest lawyer in town."



25. No Echidna is an Island: Chapter 4: Rough going
by NetRaptor
Chapter 4: Rough going
______________________________________________________________________

Talon's old room was the same as he had left it--dark, dingy, with climbing vines covering the window. The walls were painted blue, and as Talon stepped in he felt the old melancholy return. He set his suitcase on the bed and gazed at his shoes--the one link he had with his parents, and his link with the Floating Island. The shoes belonged with a set of emerald armor, and the soles were made of red and green super emerald vein. Talon knew the password to activate the shoes and let him fly, for his father had taught him to use the shoes when he was little. Back during acting school.

He looked up and saw his uncle in the doorway. "Welcome home, Konya," said Mori with an insincere smile.

"Thanks, Uncle Pendel," said Talon. "And my name is Talon."

"I see you've retained that ridiculous nickname," said Mori, his smile vanishing. "No doubt encouraged by those ignorant echidnas. Don't worry, I won't let them take you away."

"You're not going to let them adopt me?" cried Talon, jumping to his feet. "Why not?"

"Because echidnas are violent by nature," said Mori. "I see their impulsiveness has rubbed off on you." Talon opened his mouth to retort, but Mori held up a hand. "Quiet. I do not allow backtalk. You know the rules to living here. In your room by eight o'clock, up by six. You will be resuming school at Happy Mobian Academy. The barn out back is off-limits at all times, and so is the basement."

Talon nodded. "Yes, Uncle Pendel."

Mori nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Talon stood in the middle of the room as his world collapsed. He might never see Knuckles or Zephyer or the Floating Island again. He was doomed to live with his uncle until ... until he was eighteen and could live wherever he wanted. It was only five more years and ...

Talon sat down in the darkest corner, drew his knees to his chest and stared into the gloom, too empty to cry.

He sat there a long time, listening to the creak of the house, the sound of a dog barking, a distant lawnmower. Sounds he had not heard while on the Floating Island. He knew everyone there and was accepted. Here he was an outcast. He burrowed deep into the shell that Knuckles had worked for three years to break.

He remembered Knuckles's hand on his shoulder, reluctant to let go, and Zephyer's voice in his ear. "I put something in your bag."

How had he forgotten that? He jumped to his feet, ran to his suitcase and opened it. On top of his belongings were a communicator and an envelope. Talon picked up the com and recognized it as one of Knuckles's modified long-range units. He opened the envelope next, and a silver tube slid out. He looked at it for a second before he recognized it as a whistle with a long, odd cut in the top. There was a letter with it, which he pulled out and opened.

"Talon,

Slasher made this whistle for Zephyer and I as a wedding present. I want you to have it. If you need anything, blow it and Slasher will come. If you need her fast, blow it 3 times. If you're desperate, blow it 5 times. Take care of it, because I'm going to want it back when we bring you home. The communicator is one of mine. Call home once or twice a day to let us know how you're doing. If your uncle is mean to you, make a note of it and I'll smack him around to teach him a lesson.
Love you,

Knux."

The tears came easily after that.

* * *

Knuckles asked a few people who they considered the toughest, meanest lawyers in town, and everyone recommended the firm Dewey, Cheetum and Howe. Knuckles located the firm, had the Chaotix and Zephyer wait in the reception area, and approached the secretary.

"I want to talk to the nastiest of your lawyers," he said, glaring.

The secretary took one look at him and pressed a button on her intercom. "Ms. Howe, there's a client here for you." She pointed to a hallway. "Third door on the right."

Knuckles nodded and strode off.

He entered a large office with dozens of framed awards on the walls, and a wide window with a view of the ocean. Sitting behind the desk was a sleek red ferret with shrewd, beady eyes. She sized up Knuckles, then motioned to a chair. "Sit down, mister ...?"

"Echidna, Knuckles Echidna," said Knuckles, taking a seat. "You don't look like a nasty lawyer."

"Some would disagree," said Howe. "Your case had better be interesting."

"Sticky adoption case," said Knuckles, and explained about Talon coming to the Floating Island to hide from his awful relatives. At first Howe looked disinterested, but as Knuckles mentioned Pendel Mori, her ears pricked up. Knuckles concluded with a terse account of what had happened when they had relinquished Talon, then looked at the ferret. "Well? Interesting enough?"

"We'll see," said Howe. "How much can you pay?"

"Five power crystals, fifty carat, at current market value," said Knuckles. "You could get a better price for them if you sold to collectors, or maybe the human military."

"Will you make a down payment?"

"Will you take my case?"

The ferret and echidna regarded each other.

"Yes," said Howe. "Between you and me, I'd love to put Pendel Mori in prison. Of course, losing this case means YOU might be the one in prison."

"If there's a chance of getting Talon back, I'll risk it," said Knuckles.

Howe pulled a sheaf of papers out of her briefcase. "I need to get these customized. Who will I be representing, besides you and the boy?"

"Oh, my wife," said Knuckles, remembering with a shock that he was married now.

"She'll need to cosign," said the lawyer. "Fetch her in while I create a profile." She left the office in a gliding, snaky motion.

Knuckles walked out to the waiting area and beckoned to Zephyer. As she rose, he said to the Chaotix, "This might take a while. You guys might as well go do something."

"It's a hundred and ten degrees out there," said Espio. "What do you expect us to do besides melt?"

"That's your problem," said Knuckles, in no mood to be crossed. "We'll meet back home this evening." He led Zephyer to Howe's office.

The office was empty, so the two sat down to wait in opposite chairs. Zephyer looked around the office, reading the award plaques and examining the photos of little ferrets on the desk. "Is she nasty?"

"I think so," Knuckles muttered. "She didn't mess around much. She's also expensive."

"Can we afford it?"

"That's why I pay these people in jewels. The price is indefinite and large."

The pair lapsed into silence, intimidated by their own voices in the unfamiliar room.

When Howe didn't come back for another ten minutes, Zephyer fell to brooding. "This is your fault," she hissed at Knuckles. "We didn't have to mess with any of this legal junk--Talon was fine living with us illegally."

"Oh, so it's my fault now," snarled Knuckles. "You agreed to this, remember?"

"Yes, and it doesn't make it any better," retorted Zephyer. "I read that stuff Sally emailed you--it can take up to a year for an adoption to go through, and that's one without legal entanglements. Who knows what could happen to Talon in a year?"

"You don't suppose I read that too?" snapped Knuckles, leaning forward. "I know! It makes me sick! What do you want me to do, kidnap him for real?"

"Yes, if that's what it takes!" Zephyer was ready to take the argument to blows, but they were interrupted as Howe slipped in the door.

The ferret snaked behind the desk and sat down, ignoring the flushed faces of her clients. "I'm ready to open this case, Mr. and Mrs. Echidna. I'm going to ask you some questions and I need your identification."

Knuckles gave Zephyer a look that said their fight was not over, and directed his attention to the papers on the desk.

It took an hour to read and sign all the papers, and Howe explained everything as they went along. She asked questions carefully calculated to learn about her clients. How long had they been married? Had Talon ever told them about his prior home? Had they interacted with Talon's relatives before?

When they told her about meeting Kit and Kardot, Howe made a triumphant bark in her throat.

"Why, do you know them?" Knuckles asked.

Howe got up and closed the door, then beckoned for the echidnas to move close. They did until her whiskers brushed their faces, and she said in a low voice, "Pendel Mori has had multiple charges of illegal experimentation brought against him, but there was never enough evidence to convict. There was nothing wrong with Kit and Kardot. At first."

"Kardot was an android," said Zephyer. "Why should they care how he treated her?"

"Kardot wasn't always an android," whispered Howe. "She was the second-oldest of Mori's five children. Three of them died of natural causes, or so we think. Kardot started life as a flesh and blood anteater. How he made her into an android we'll never know. He somehow had her birth records erased, so it would appear she had always been that way, but me and my firm know better. I saw the certificate before it vanished."

"What about Kit?" said Knuckles, eyes wide.

"I don't know," said Howe. "He's not right in the head, but whether that's due to experimentation or seeing his father's cruelty, who can say?"

Zephyer and Knuckles looked at each other in horror. "We have to get Talon out of there," said Zephyer.

"Yes," said Howe, eyes gleaming. "And put Mori behind bars for good. If I can use this case to do that, I will." She stepped back and returned her voice to normal. "Thank you for your business. I'll give you a call in a day or two." She escorted them out of the office with a smile, revealing her long white fangs. As soon as they were gone, Howe whisked down the hall to Cheetum's office.

Cheetum was a black rat. He was filling out a form with one pink hand and eating a cheese sandwich with the other, and glanced up when Howe slithered in.

"Sup, Ann?"

"Call in Dewey."

Cheetum picked up his phone and pressed a button. "Dewey, Howe's got something to talk to us about." The rat hung up the phone, and a moment later a weasel entered the office. He was even snakier than Howe, and was smaller with a shorter muzzle.

"What's the trouble?" he asked.

"I may have found a way to convict Pendel Mori," said Howe.

Cheetum and Dewey straightened.

"Seems that since his kids are gone, he's starting on his nephew," said Howe. "But his nephew's been living with these echidnas who want to adopt him. If we can prove that these echidnas will provide a better home environment, we might have a case."

"How will that convict Mori?" asked Dewey.

"That's the good part," said Howe. "I'm going to request studies by social services, and have them comb his little lab from top to bottom. I'm sure he's got something illegal we can nail him with. But I'm going to need your help."

"You got it," said Cheetum. "My other clients can wait another few days."

"I'll get the research team on it," said Dewey. "Better hire a detective to watch the kid, too. Never know what Mori will do to him."

"Good idea."

And the lawyers parted ways.

* * *

The next morning before school, Talon stole around the house, trying to see if Kit was living there. Kit's room was clean and vacant, but Talon checked the other four bedrooms, just in case. None of them looked inhabited, and there was only enough food for one person in the refrigerator.

He saw no sign of his uncle from the time he got up to when the school bus came. This didn't worry Talon much, for the less he saw of his uncle, the better. But there was no sign of him on the first or second floors, and the basement was locked. Talon remembered it was off-limits, but thought it unusual ... the basement had been Kit and Kardot's hangout. Mori must have turned it into something else.

Talon had no books to take to school with him, but it didn't matter. As soon as he climbed on the bus, the racket of unruly youngsters smote his ears, and a few yelled, "Check it out, Konya finally came back! Where you been, Konya? Juvenile hall?" There was a roar of laughter. Talon slipped to a vacant seat, trying to ignore the shouts.

Happy Mobian Academy was on the other side of the island, in a lush, green park-like area. To the casual observer it was the perfect school: the grounds were beautiful, the buildings were ultra-modern, clean and newly painted. But the students knew otherwise. This was a private school with an unusual charter, and Talon's parents had talked about it with horror and started a petition to close it down. Perhaps that was one reason they had been killed in the fire. Talon's uncle, upon receiving custody, had enrolled Talon there at once.

Talon went to the office first, his stomach cold and hard under his ribs. The assistant principal was a female dachshund, and she gave Talon a long look when he entered. "Well well. Konya Mori. I never expected to see you again."

"Yes ma'am." Talon stared at the floor. He heard her rustling papers, and for a wild second thought about blowing the whistle for Slasher. But no, he had survived this place before. He could do it again.

"You were in Rabbit group, weren't you?" said the assistant principal. "You're too old now .. thirteen, aren't you?"

Talon nodded.

"We'll put you in Antelope, then," she said. She handed him a maroon armband. "Your group is in Jungle environment this week. The Jungle instructor will show you where to go."

Talon nodded as he put on the armband and left the office.

The school grounds covered twenty acres of uninhabited island, backing up to the ocean on the south. There were large clumps of jungle, piles of rocks, ponds, and a wide grassy meadow. No desert, though, thought Talon with a touch of smugness. The Floating Island's environments are better.

He followed one of the trails marked 'Jungle', trying to remain unnoticed by the other students around him. Everyone wore maroon or yellow armbands, and Talon guessed that Leopard was having their classes with Antelope today. His stomach knotted even tighter. The predator groups were the worst.

At the edge of the trees, Talon found a group of kids with maroon and blended with them, hoping no one would recognize him. Nearby was a wiry civet cat in a maroon vest, signifying that he was their instructor. A few stragglers trotted up, and the teacher faced the group.

"All right, animals, listen up! Today we're pitted against Leopard! You will have to exhibit all the qualities of the antelope to pass this lesson--speed, endurance, and sharp senses. Stay in small groups--there is safety in numbers. Leopards hunt alone, and a lone Antelope is a dead Antelope. Class ends at noon. Go!"

The kids turned and ran into the woods.

Talon had grown since the last time he was here. Not only were his legs longer and his endurance greater, he had learned a few things. Now, as he ran with the chattering, laughing group, he understood these idiotic lessons. The school was making young Mobians into animals. He thought of the TV show he had watched with Tails about Mobian regression. This school encouraged it! But Talon was too meek to rebel against the system. He simply told himself that he would not go feral, and concentrated on surviving.

What had developed out in the jungles was a kind of gang warfare. Each team attacked the other, and if some kids reached the end of the day with bloody noses or broken bones, it meant they were learning. A pecking order was established within each team, and timid ones like Talon were at the bottom.

All day long he ran, hid, watched his back, and jumped at shadows. His reflexes were slower because of living civilized, and twice he was jumped and beaten up. By the end of the day he was bruised, dirty, and curled up inside into a tight knot.

When he arrived home at three o'clock, he again found the house deserted. Talon tried to like it, but he was lonesome and homesick, and couldn't help thinking of what Knuckles would have done if let inside that school. He went to his room, barricaded the door, and pulled the communicator out from under his pillow.

He clicked it on and waited for the responding click. After a moment it came, and Knuckles's voice said, "Hey."

"Hello sir."

"Talon! Hey! How're you doing?"

"Okay," said Talon, feeling safe now that Knuckles was on the line. "I just got home from school."

"School?" Knuckles sounded astonished. "He made you go to school your first day back?"

"Yes sir." Talon didn't want to think about it. "Any chance of my coming home soon?"

"We've hired a lawyer to work this out," said Knuckles. "She has a grudge against your uncle and was delighted to take the case."

"Oh good." Talon didn't know what else to say. "Thanks for giving me this com."

"You're welcome. You get the whistle?"

"Yes sir."

"Have you used it?"

"No sir."

"Huh." Knuckles sounded puzzled. "We haven't seen Slasher since we got here. I thought you whistled for her."

"No sir." Talon looked at the window, his old fear returning.

"Strange. Well, has your uncle been treating you all right?"

"Yes sir." If not seeing him all day was right treatment.

"Hey Tal, listen," said Knuckles, lowering his voice. "If you find out your uncle's doing ... well, anything illegal, call me right away."

"Illegal?" Talon perked up, thinking of the locked basement. "Like what, sir?"

"I don't know. But if you see something weird, let me know. And be careful."

"Yes sir!"

There was a long pause, Talon knew he should hang up, but he couldn't bear to turn off the comfort of Knuckles's voice.

"Well, if you need anything, call," said Knuckles. "And don't be afraid to use the whistle. Slasher likes you, you know."

"Oh." Talon could only think of the way she had eaten the steaks. "Thanks."

"Bye Tal."

"Bye sir." Talon turned off the com and sat looking at it. He wished he dared strap it to his wrist, but his uncle might take it away, and at school it would get broken. He shoved it back under his pillow, glanced at his window again, and met Espio's eyes.

A second later the window was open and Talon was leaning out. Espio was colored the same as the vines that covered the window, and Talon kept losing the chameleon among the leaves. "Espio, what are you doing here?"

"Checking on you, kid," said Espio. "Us Chaotix have been watching the house. Is your uncle here? Can I come in?"

"I haven't seen him today," said Talon, glad of Espio's presence. "Come on in, but be quiet. He might be in the basement."

Espio climbed through the window, his skin changing colors to blend with the walls and floor. Talon led him through the house, conducting a tour in a whisper. Espio grunted now and then, memorizing the layout. When they came to the basement door, Talon said, "I'm not allowed to go down there. It's always kept locked. I can't go in the barn, either. Want to see that?"

"You bet!"

Talon took Espio into the backyard, led him across the lawn and into the forest, where the barn was located. As they walked up to it, they became aware of an unpleasant odor, like rotting meat. The barn's door was chained shut, and there were bars in the windows.

Espio climbed up to look in the windows, but it was so dark that all he could see were vague, indistinct shapes like machinery under tarps.

Espio climbed back down, looking curious. "A locked barn and a locked basement. Did we tell you about what we heard?"

"No."

Espio related the story of ringing the doorbell and hearing a wild beast growl before Mori answered the door. Talon blanched. "What could it have been?"

"No idea," said Espio. "Maybe he has a really big dog or something. Be careful."

Be careful. Everyone kept telling him to be careful. Careful of what?

They snuck back through the house, and Espio left through Talon's window. "Thanks for the tour, kid," he said. "If you need anything, sneak out front and wave at the bushes. We're taking turns watching you."

"Okay," Talon grinned as Espio slunk away. If the Chaotix were close by, then he didn't mind being alone.

* * *

Knuckles had received Talon's call as he was getting ready to meet with the lawyer again. He and Zephyer dropped what they were doing and huddled around the communicator. When Knuckles hung up, he looked at Zephyer. "How did he sound to you?"

"Depressed," said Zephyer, looking at the com as if she could see Talon thought it.

"At least he's all right," said Knuckles, strapping the com to his wrist. "And the Chaotix are keeping an eye on him."

"I wish he was home again," said Zephyer, looking downcast. "I know he doesn't make much noise, but it's been too quiet without him."

Knuckles grunted and walked out the door, Zephyer following.

They took a portable teleporter with them as they warped back to the mainland. Zephyer hated to leave the Floating Island so much; she understood the part of the Guardian's oath about being bound to the island. Leaving it seemed a form of betrayal, and she wondered how Knuckles had managed to do it so often. She did not know that Knuckles's loneliness had become so intense that even the island's call could not keep him there, and it was not until the Chaotix came that Knuckles was able to stay at home. Her own presence was also a comfort to him, although he would never tell her su