Act 2-6 Green Hills

Tom held the lifeless Sonic in his arms as he went out of the beach towards his motorcycle. He parked it outside the natural reserve the ruins were at, so it was relatively close, however his bike wasn't the only thing that was close. Several echdinas came out of the forest, all looking pretty defeated. Tom knew they were enemies, yet he had to try something.

Tom: "Can any of you help? His heart has stopped."

Several echidnas looked back at him, ignoring his pleas, except for one striking red one. Knuckles slowly approached Sonic and Tom, telling him.

Knuckles: "Put him on the ground."

Tom: "What are you going to do?", Knuckles looked up at him with an angry face, hitting his fists together.

Knuckles: "Just do it!"

Tom didn't have his gun with him, and had no way to attack him. He put Sonic on the ground.

Tom: "Look, my wife is coming here to help revive him. I know you two have a rivalry, but right now you need to forget that."

Knuckles: "I'm just paying a debt."

Knuckles put his palm on Sonic as a green bursts of chaotic energy emerged from the echidna, hitting Sonic's body like an electric bolt. Sonic began trembling, and blue streaks were being formed as his eyes opened.

Sonic: "Ahh, don't count down to zero, air timer, I'm not done ye...", Sonic sat up realizing what was around him. He started catching his breath. "I think... I think I'm fine no...", Sonic fell right back on the ground unconscious, however this time he remained alive. Knuckles got up, explaining to the confused and happy Tom.

Knuckles: "I hit him with some of the Master Emerald's energy. He should be fine now."

Knuckles started moving away before being stopped by Tom's voice.

Tom: "What debt did you owe him? Is it to repay for hunting him his whole life?", Knuckles looked back.

Knuckles: "I did what I had to do in the past, and I don't regret it. However recently I teamed up with that deceiving doctor. I lost myself, but Sonic knew the way. He warned me and I just didn't listen. Plus, if his fox friend fails, I'll need him alive to get my land back."

Tom: "You're still going to chase him?"

Knuckles: "Yes, if he is needed."

Tom got up.

Tom: "I'm not letting you. It was because of you that he had to run away through his entire childhood. I can't let you keep doing the same."

Knuckles: "You think you have a chance against me in a fight?"

Tom: "I won't know until I try."

Tom has his fists ready to fight the super powerful echidna, however once it seems like he is ready to strike, a hand grabs the back end of his pants. Tom looks down to see Sonic's hand.

Sonic: "Thank you Tom, but there's no need for that. Let him go."

Tom: "But..."

Sonic: "I forgive him."

Knuckles looks shocked.

Knuckles: "Your friend was captured because of me, mere moments ago. You make no sense."

Sonic: "What makes no sense is the regret stamped all over your face." Sonic slowly got up. "You were manipulated to do that, and before that you did it to protect something dear to you. I can't put that against you. The only one truly evil here is Robotnik. He's the target not you.", Knuckles looks down speechless. "Tom, let's go. I have a ring inside my shoe, we can get back home."

Tom: "Okay, Sonic."

They both get on the motorbike and get out of there. Knuckles heads back to the forest with a smile. We see Tom and Sonic on the motorbike in the middle of the road.

Tom: "You know what Sonic, sometimes you're the most annoying kid a parent could ask for, other times you are the most responsible of us both."

Sonic: "That's only half true."

Tom: "You're right, you're annoying all the time."

Sonic: "Hey!", They both laugh.

Tom: "I'm just glad you're okay."

Sonic: "Yeah, me too. I hate water so much. It's slippery, heavy and makes everything so slow. Let's never go to a beach again."

Tom: "Yeah, I'm feeling like going home too. Do you have a ring with you?"

Sonic searches inside his shoe and grabs a ring.

Sonic: "I only have this one with me, and one more at home left by...", Sonic tries to say Tails, but he falls short. "It's all my fault."

Tom: "What are you talking about? You had a crazy doctor with an army of droids and echidnas. It's their fault."

Sonic: "Tails told me to stay put. I let go of his hand, and went for the emerald. If I hadn't done that, he would still be okay."

Tom: "Then you're going to make up for it, by saving him. C'mon buddy, it's rare to see you depressed."

Sonic: "Oh yeah, what do you call this then?"

Sonic jumps out of the motorbike and runs around Tom, jumping across balconies, and such.

Tom: "So you didn't lose your energy. Well, just follow me and try to not hit against anything."

Sonic gave him a thumbs up, and then proceeded to look at his ring with some visible sorrow.

We cut to Sonic in his racing car bed in the house's attic looking once again at a ring.

Sonic: "Tails really only had one more at home. I wonder if he saved it so he could return to Mobius, maybe go somewhere else. After all, Earth isn't his home. It's mine.", Sonic starts sparkling bolts, being on the verge of tears. "It's all my fault. If he hadn't met me, he wouldn't have been captured."

Knuckles: "So what are you going to do about it?"

Sonic: "Aah!"

Sonic is spooked by Knuckles' sudden appearance, as it's seen he's been resting by a wooden column on the ceiling.

Sonic: "How long have you been here? Wait, how are you here? Did you sneak through a ring again?"

Knuckles: "No, I threw my own. I told it, Sonic's lair, and it got me here."

Sonic: "Well, that's convenient. Why are you here?"

Knuckles stayed silent for a moment before asking.

Knuckles: "You really aren't scared? I chased you your entire life and you still..."

Sonic: "We've been through this knucklehead, it's in the past, that is unless you came here to hunt me down."

Knuckles: "I need your help. Me and my tribe tried to strike Robotnik's chemical plant, but it's too well guarded, and no one is fast enough to get through, except..."

Sonic: "Me. Looks like you came back with your tail between your legs."

Knuckles: "My tail is behind my legs. What do you mean?"

Sonic: "No, it's... ahh forget it. You want to go right now?"

Knuckles: "If possible, yes. But you can rest if you'd like."

Sonic: "What about you? Is an echidna's power able to keep them forever awake?"

Knuckles: "No, but my determination is."

Sonic: "Well, staying in motion is my motto, so I'm ready."

Knuckles smiled, while turning around and picking up Sonic's cowboy hat from the floor. He puts it on and begins to walk in circles explaining a plan.

Knuckles: "Great. The best course of action would be to watch over the plant and figure out when..."

As Knuckles faces Sonic again he notices him asleep on the floor. The echinda tribe leader grunts, but then notices Sonic's race car bed.

The next day starts as Tom opens the latch to the attic.

Tom: "Hey Sonic, breakfast is ready. Come eat and then we'll decide on... how to save Tails.", He notices Knuckles sleeping in Sonic's bed, as Sonic seems defeated on the ground. "What did you do to him?"

Knuckles slowly opens his eyes and answers with a sigh.

Knuckles: "He did that himself. On to more concerning matters, is breakfast food? I'm hungry."

Tom answers in an uncertain tone.

Tom: "Yes, it is. Feel free to serve yourself downstairs, it's the least I can do after you revived Sonic..."

Knuckles gets up and heads towards the kitchen. Tom looks at him while scratching his head. Sonic answers his thoughts.

Sonic: "Ring... He got here by ring."

Tom: "Yup, you guys make no sense. Also, it's pancakes today."

Sonic immediatelly gets up. We see Knuckles slowly stretching himself as he head to the kitchen, but Sonic dashes past him and sits on the table, making Knuckles grunt. Tom's wife and daughter look at him and immediatelly dismiss him.

Wife: "I'm not even surprised anymore."

Daughter: "What's your name, Red Sonic?"

Knuckles: "Knuckles the Echidna."

Sonic: "Is "the" your middle name?"

Knuckles: "No, Knuckles is my only name."

Sonic: "Really? Mine is."

Wife: "Wait, "the" is part of your name?"

Sonic: "Yeah, LongClaw said it would make it easier for anyone to know what I kid of animal I am, since by her terms I don't look anything like an hedgehog."

Daughter: "And he doesn't look anything like an ecadna... What's an ecadna?"

Tom enters the room.

Tom: "An echidna is like an anteater, and they're the only mammals that lay eggs, but that's beside the point. What are you doing here, Knuckles?"

Knuckles: "I..."

Sonic: "He needed my help. Apparently he can't do anything on his own.", Sonic commented as he took a big bite of his pancake.

Tom: "Great. So you have more rings with you? We've been thinking of going, but with only one ring left, we were afraid we would get stuck there."

Knuckles looks downs at his hand. From within his glove slides out Robotnik's mechanical ring, which has an unlimited amount of uses. He hides it again.

Knuckles: "I used my last one to get here. I was hoping I could use yours."

Sonic drops his pancake.

Sonic: "I thought you had more."

Knuckles stays silent. Sonic leaves the table and heads back towards the attic. Knuckles is surprised.

Knuckles: "What, why..."

Tom: "He's been like that ever since we got back. He's afraid to leave his life here to go save his recent friend. I can't blame him for that, but still he...", Tom notices as Knuckles leaves his seat as well and heads for the attic. "Are you...."

Knuckles: "I'll convince him, but first..." ,Knuckles steps back and grabs his plate of pancakes and Sonic's, eating them whole. He then proceeds to the attic, to ready Sonic for the chemical plant invasion to save Tails, Mobius and recover the Chaos Emeralds.

End of Act 2

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Once again sorry it took so long. Had a hard time writing this one, and I'm not sure if I'm too satisfied with it. Act 3 should finish the story, which might have 3 or 4 parts. Hope you're enjoying.