Out Of Date
Sonic sat in stunned silence. Eyes wide, jaw hanging low, as he tried to absorb what the cyborg fox had just told him. Finally he focused on his very grown up best friend.
“You’re absolutely sure that it’s 3255?” He asked incredulously.
“Completely.” The fox nodded for added emphasis.
“But…how?”
“Time passes…” Miles shrugged. “It’s just the way it is.”
Sonic gave him a sour look. “You know what I mean. How did I come to be here?”
“I’m not quite sure…” Miles admitted. “I was thinking about that while you were in the healing chamber…I mean, it’s obvious that you haven’t aged…it’s like you skipped twenty years…”
“How is that possible?”
“I don’t know…” Miles frowned, noticing that Sonic was having a difficult time looking at his dearest friend. He shrugged it off. “What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Okay…” Sonic sighed, focusing on his hands, which were folded in his lap. “Sal and I were on a picnic when a new Metal Sonic attacked…I figured it was only after me, so I told Sal to get herself out of harm’s way…
“Truth is…the darn thing wasn’t much of a challenge in comparison to the previous models…but the thing is, Robotnik must have tweaked to the fact that they could never beat me…the damn thing herded me into a trap.
“Robotnik had set the thing to chase me into that gorge in the Great Forest…you know the one? With the high walls?”
“Yes.” Miles nodded.
“Well…he had the robotic Knuckles set up to make certain I couldn’t get off the path he’d chosen…and just after I entered the gorge…he dropped down behind me and hit me in the back with some sort of laser weapon.”
“I think I understand now…” Miles nodded. “The laser must have somehow accelerated your metabolism, pushing you faster than the speed of light, causing you to break through the barriers of time and space.”
“Huh?” Sonic queried, glancing briefly at his friend before quickly looking away.
Miles was getting more than a little annoyed. He was used to this kind of reaction, he got it all the time, after all, he wasn’t the most pleasant being to look at. But he’d excepted better from Sonic.
“I’m sorry if my appearance disturbs you.” He said softly. Sonic looked at him now, feeling a little guilty for his reaction. “But there’s nothing I can do about it.” He looked straight at the hedgehog with his mismatched blue eyes. “Deal with it.”
Sonic lowered his eyes again. “I didn’t mean to upset you…” He sighed. “It’s just…waking up and finding I’m suddenly twenty years out of date…”
Miles smiled grimly. “I guess an explanation is in order.” He looked away for a moment, preparing himself. “You’ve obviously missed a lot…very little of it good…” he looked as his metallic hand, sighing as he clenched it into a fist.
“When Sally got back to Knothole and told us what had happened, we all set out to help you out. We found evidence of your battle, but no sign whatsoever of you. Naturally, the others feared the worst. As for me…ever the eternal optimist…I was sure that you’d survived, that you’d be waiting for us back in Knothole. But as days stretched into weeks…well…
“Sally was inconsolable…she wouldn’t come out of her hut…she neither ate nor slept…when she eventually did come out, she was a changed female…she was determined to avenge you…we started what seemed like an unending series of raids on Robotropolis…effective…efficient…brutal…Robotnik had bragged about what he’d done to you…but as he saw his empire beginning to crumble around his ears…I like to think he was regretting it.
“We were doing really great…piece by piece, we were destroying everything he’d built…it looked like the battle was won…”
He paused, lowering his head.
“Until Robotnik decided to nuke the Great Forest.”
Sonic eyes widened in shock. He was about to ask the question he didn’t dare ask when Miles continued with his story.
“I don’t remember much about it…I woke up here…like this…” He held up his metallic hand. “Ellie-Za, Moni-Ca and Lien-Da teamed up to create it for me…I’m not sure what they did, or how they made it work…but it has it’s advantages.” He flexed his fingers, the tips extending into razor sharp claws.
“Who’s Lien-Da?” Sonic asked, not recognising the name.
Miles smiled. “You know her better as Kommisar.”
“She’s working with the good guys now?”
“There are no good guys or bad guys anymore…” Miles told him. “All survivors live here together in peace…all past actions forgotten.”
“Survivors of what?” Sonic asked.
Miles sighed again. “As I was recovering, Knuckles told me what had happened. He’s sensed something terrible had happened, even though he was half a world away. He came to help us…unfortunately, he arrived too late. I was the only one who survived…barely.”
He paused, fully aware of what Sonic’s reaction to this news would be. He sat down by the silent hedgehog, putting his organic arm around his shoulder. Sonic buried his face as he tried to cope with it. His body trembled. It took quite some time for the hedgehog to regain his composure.
“I take it Robotnik paid for it?” He said in an angry, though quivering voice.
Miles looked away.
“You didn’t avenge them?” Sonic demanded. “You let him get away with it?”
“I tried…” he said softly. He lowered his head. “I failed…”
“Surely the Chaotix…”
“As soon as I got used to my new body,” Miles began, cutting him off. “I went after him. I was determined to take him down for all the horrors he’d done…the pain and suffering he’d caused…all by myself.
“It was stupid…but I wasn’t using my head…even with my new abilities…I was no match for Robotnik’s weaponry.
“As soon as they realised where I’d gone, Knuckles and the Chaotix came after me. If they hadn’t…I wouldn’t be here now…I was in a real mess by the time they got there…Knux took one look at me and ordered Vector to bring me back to the Island.
“I don’t know what happened after that…only that…” He stopped, unable to continue. Sonic could see the pain etched in his friend’s face, in every fibre of his being.
“They never came back.” Sonic finished for him.
Miles nodded.
“And it’s all my fault…”
~~~~~
“This is totally wacked!” Vector shook his head.
“It’s not the first time one of our own has returned from the dead.” Moni-Ca said softly.
“Yeah…” Vector agreed, lowering his head.
“Daddy?” A tiny voice enquired. “Why are you so sad?”
Vector looked at the little crocodile leaning on his knee. She gazed up at him with wide eyes. He smiled at her as best he could, pulling her up onto his lap. “It’s okay, Vert.” He told her. “It’s something that happened a long time ago…”
She curled up against his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. She hated to see him sad.
Vector absently stroked his daughter’s back, smiling as she began to coo contentedly. “So what’s the deal?” He asked Moni-Ca.
“I don’t know.” The echidna admitted. “We’re not sure what to make of it. And he’s as confused as we are.”
“Does Julie-Su know?”
“Lien-Da went to tell her.”
~~~~~
“I guess I don’t have to ask who found him.” Julie-Su said in a low voice.
“It’d probably be better if you didn’t.” Lien-Da agreed.
Julie-Su sighed angrily. “She was out there again…”
“You and I both know why she goes out there…”
Julie-Su looked momentarily at her sister before turning her attention to the world outside her window.
~~~~~
“We didn’t hear a peep out of Robotnik for five years after that…” Miles continued after he’d regained the ability. “We figured they’d taken each other out…but he’d actually been working on some new kind of weapon.
“We never saw it…but this thing was a planet destroyer. It killed everything on the surface…we only survived because Elle had tweaked the energy shield…the one she created to entrap the Island during that whole Dark Knux thing…to keep out EVERYTHING.
“Now the Floating Island is the only place on Mobius capable of supporting life.”
Sonic was silent. It was all too much. Everything, and just about everybody he’d ever known was gone…
“I was supposed to be informed as soon as he awoke.” An extremely serious voice spoke loudly, breaking the silence that had descended upon the room.
The pair turned to see an extremely serious looking echidna standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. He was dressed in a green uniform that, though much different to the uniform Sonic was used to, showed his position as a high ranking member of the EST.
The echidna himself had brown fur, so dark that it almost appeared black. He studied Sonic with icy blue eyes, giving the hedgehog the impression that if he smiled it’d crack his face.
“This is really none of your business.” Miles informed him.
The echidna turned his cold eyes to the fox. “Everything is my business.” He said with equal coldness.
“Braun, lighten up.” A second voice intoned. “And that’s an order.”
“Remington?” Sonic whispered as the familiar brown-furred echidna entered the room. Dressed in a uniform identical to the one worn by the younger officer, he looked much the same as the constable Sonic was familiar with, save a few strands of silver in his dark cowlick.
“The years have been pretty good to you.” Sonic smirked at him. The guy had to be pushing fifty.
“Not as kind as they have been to you by all accounts.” He replied. “You’ve been given the all clear. And your presence has been requested by the Guardian Mother.”
“Are you sure that’s wise, sir?” Braun enquired.
“Come now, Braun.” Remington smiled at the youth. “After all…they are old friends…”
~~~~~
“So, where are we going?” Sonic asked as he watched the towers of Echidnaopolis flash by outside the hovercar’s window.
“The Guardian Estate is on the outskirts of the city.” Braun told him. “The Guardians like their privacy. And they seem to prefer the wilderness.”
Remington turned the vehicle off the main road onto a long track through the trees. He pulled up in a clearing in front of a huge arched cliff face and shut off the engine. “We’re here.” He announced as he climbed out, Miles and Braun following. Sonic glanced about.
“But there’s nothing here.”
Miles smiled at him and pointed upwards. The domicile perched on the edge of the cliff was designed to blend in with its surroundings. It appeared to be made of trees that were actually growing. Moss covered the roof, vines covered the walls. From its vantage point it overlooked the entire city and most of the Island.
Sonic sighed.
“I should have known.”
“We have to get back to the city.” Remington announced. “We are still on duty after all.”
Miles nodded to the pair and they headed back to their vehicle.
“Ah…” Sonic continued to look about. “How exactly do we get up there?”
“Sonic...” Miles said softly. “Before you go up…well…I don’t mean to insult you, but with you’re gift for diplomacy, or rather, lack of it…there’s something you should know…”
Sonic arched a brow. “And what exactly is that?”
“Julie-Su…she’s never really accepted that Knuckles is gone…” Miles sighed. “We went along with it at first…we figured it was her way of coping…especially considering her condition at the time…but she still believes he’s alive…”
“I can imagine what it must be like for her…” Sonic said softly. “I mean…to lose him twice…”
“Yeah…” Miles agreed. “But this time it was a little different…” He glanced up as a flicker of movement caught his bionic eye.
“How so?” Sonic asked.
“This time…he left her a little something to remember him by.”
Sonic was startled by a soft thud on the ground behind him, though it didn’t seem to surprise Miles at all. He turned to see the young female echidna that had rescued him.
Sonic frowned as he studied her. He hadn’t gotten a very good look at her before, but the feeling of familiarity he’d felt was now even stronger. She was powerfully built for a female. Dark pink, almost magenta spines, framed an attractive face, long bangs of a similar colour fell into her eyes. The lavender eyes that he’d noticed earlier, the colour of which had reminded him of Julie-Su, had a somewhat mischievous gleam to them. But now that he could see her more clearly he noticed that they had an exotic shape to them that reminded him of Knuckles.
‘Julie-Su’s colour…Knuckles’ shape…’ He glanced at Miles, some of what he’d said before came to mind.
…considering the condition she was in at the time…
…he left her a little something to remember him by…
Miles smirked as he realised Sonic had put two and two together.
“Sonic…” He said. “This is Lara-Su…Guardian of the Floating Island.”
“We’ve met.” Sonic said.
“Yeah…” The girl arched a brow. “Just don’t tell my Mum that.” She looked at Miles. “Social call?”
“Your mother requested our presence…” The fox told her.
“She knows about him?” She jerked a thumb at Sonic. Miles nodded. She let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m in for it now.”
“Why?” Sonic asked.
“It’s kinda forbidden to go outside the shield.” She explained.
“I guess it’s lucky for me you did.” Sonic said. “I owe you my life.” She just smiled shyly.
She walked to the base of the cliff and looked up with a sigh. “Guess I better go face the music.”
Miles placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he came up to stand beside her. “It’ll be cool…” He glanced over at Sonic who still stood in the middle of the clearing. “You want an engraved invitation?”
“Huh?” Sonic frowned.
“Get over here.”
Sonic walked over to join them.
“Going up.” Miles said simply.
Sonic flinched involuntarily as the air rippled around them, supporting and carrying them gently upwards. “Neat.” Sonic beamed as he got used to it.
Julie-Su was waiting for them, hands on hips, a scowl on her face as she glared at her daughter. Sonic glanced at the younger female and the familiar sheepish look on her face. Seeing the pair together he realised that though her colouring was more like her mother’s, everything else about her, her looks, her mannerisms, her movements, were her father’s.
He saw a flicker of grief on Julie-Su’s face. She saw it too. Her love eerily mirrored in their daughter.
‘Man, that’s gotta be hard for her…’ He thought.
“I’ll deal with you later, young lady.” She said softly before turning to her guests. She looked from Miles to Sonic and back again. She arched a brow, Miles shrugged.
“How about a nice cup of tea?” She suggested, truly at a loss for words.
~~~~~
Sonic walked slowly around the large living area, studying the mementos of a lifetime. He paused at the collection of photographs that lined one wall. There was one particularly large one of Knuckles and Julie-Su. By the expressions on their faces, their attire and the gold bands on their fingers it wasn’t difficult to ascertain just what day the picture had been taken.
“Your wedding day.” He said softly.
“Not as such.” Julie-Su said.
He turned from the photograph to look it her.
“We were never technically married.” She said as she walked up to stand beside him. The pair were currently alone in the room, Lara-Su and Miles having been dispatched to prepare the tea. “The Council of Elders dug up some antiquated law that gave them the power to veto it…claiming I wasn’t a proper choice for a Guardian’s spouse. They figured it’d stop us…but we just decided on a de facto relationship…their precious law didn’t account for that.”
“And this was just rubbing their faces in it?” He indicated the picture.
“Something like that.” She smiled. Her smile faded a little as she looked at the photograph. Her hand went to the ring, still on her finger.
“You know…” She said softly. “I think that was the last time we were all together…”
It was a perfect spring day. Only a few wispy clouds drifted lazily across the sky. The sun was warm and bright, but neither glaring nor uncomfortably hot. A gentle breeze carried the scent of the flowers, carefully arranged about the clearing, filling the air with a subtle fragrance. It was as if nature itself was blessing that which was about to take place.
Knuckles flipped back the flap of the small marquee, one of several scattered amongst the trees, which had been erected for the coming ceremony. He was looking resplendent in a black tuxedo, with an emerald vest to contrast his immaculately tended red fur and spines, and as homage to his station as Guardian of the Island’s Chaos Emerald.
Despite all the extra clothing he felt a little naked. He wasn’t wearing anything on his hands, something that always made him a little uncomfortable. He feared the damage his unprotected spurs might accidentally cause, and it reminded him of a dark time in his life that he didn’t care to think about. But today, it was necessary.
The Chaotix eyed him as he straightened his cuffs and brushed off his lapels.
“Well, don’t you look special?” Mighty smiled.
“Very proper…” Ray added quietly.
“What’s with the fancy duds?” Vector queried. “This isn’t even a wedding.”
“I know.” Knuckles admitted. “But Mum insisted on some traditional photos.”
“So Julie-Su’s wearing a white foo-foo dress?” Espio asked.
“I don’t know if she’s got the right to wear white.” Vector grinned as he nudged Knuckles in the ribs. “Huh, Knux?”
The red echidna raised a brow at the crocodile’s accusation. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.” Knuckles said innocently.
“Yeah, right.” Vector sneered. “You’ve only been together for…forever…”
“It’s been five years, Vector.” Knuckles confirmed for him.
“Are you saying…in all that time…you two have never…”
“I’m not saying anything.” Knuckles smiled, almost wickedly.
“You two HAVE been living together for over a year…” Espio smirked.
“And by Bruijini and Ganalli beliefs you two have been considered a bonded pair ever since you felt the Soultouch…” Mighty added.
Vector threw Knuckles a suggestive look.
Knuckles shook his head at the leering crocodile. “You have got a one track mind…” He said. “There’s a heck of a lot more to our relationship than THAT.”
“And just what are you boys talking about?” Julie-Su enquired in a playful tone of voice.
“You don’t want to know.” Knuckles said softly as he turned to face her. He smiled as he looked at her. He’d never seen her look more beautiful.
She WAS wearing white. But it wasn’t a traditional wedding gown, with voluminous skirts, intricate beadwork or any other fine detailing that brides traditionally went for. But then, she wasn’t technically a bride. Nor did she wear a veil to hide her face as superstition dictated. It was just a simple, elegant, rather form fitting white dress.
Knuckles’ smile deepened as he took her hand. She glanced at him through her eyelashes, smiling shyly in return.
They had decided on this simple ceremony mostly to keep their families happy. Only his parents, Julie-Su’s adoptive ones and their closest friends were in attendance. The vows they planned to make were not recognised by any formal religion on the planet. They had already spoken vows, privately, to each other, but Lara-Le was insistent on having a photo to hang above her mantle.
He glanced at her, little Ash-Le on her lap. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea of being a brother. But the little squirt adored him. She smiled at him holding out her chubby little arms to him.
“Not now, sweetie.” Lara-Le said softly, stroking her daughter’s soft red hair. She looked up at her with wide sapphire eyes.
The rings had been Knuckles’ idea. They were going against tradition in every other way, but wedding rings were an age-old tradition that had been abandoned by their kind centuries ago. Their highly scientific ancestors had found that wearing a symbol to show the world your commitment was just a waste of metal, a resource that could be put to better use in some new technological device. But Knuckles liked the idea of a visible reminder of their commitment. There were still residents who disapproved of the couple, and Knuckles’ slightly darker side liked that they were, in a way, rubbing it in their faces.
He looked at them now, nestled on a silken pillow, which sat upon an ancient tree stump. She followed his gaze, raising an eyebrow as he gently picked up the smaller of the two simple golden bands. He held it up between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, for those around him to see, and took hold of her left hand, gazing deeply into her lavender eyes.
“Like this ring…” he said softly, “my love for you is without beginning and without end…with it I pledge myself to you…heart and soul…mind and body…for this lifetime and all that follow…” He slid the golden band slowly on the ring finger of the hand he still held, his eyes never leaving hers as he did so. He lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the ring where it lay on her finger.
She slipped her hand free, tore her eyes briefly from his, as she reached for the second ring. She returned her gaze to the deepness of his dark violet eyes. She took his hand as he had taken hers, carefully, a little wary of the talons and spurs. She repeated the words he had just spoken, her voice, surprisingly, a little shaky.
“Like this ring…my love for you is without beginning and without end…with it I pledge myself to you…heart and soul…mind and body…for this lifetime and all that follow…” Though she had appeared wary of the spurs before, she didn’t take her eyes from his as she slipped the ring on his finger. She lost her nerve when she lowered her lips to kiss it as he had, tilting her head a little awkwardly to get under the spur.
She straightened, locking eyes with him again. For an endless moment they just stood there, surrounded by those they cared about, just smiling at each other, drowning in each other’s eyes.
“Oh, for crying out loud.” Vector grumbled, breaking whatever spell they’d cast on each other. “Will you just kiss her already!?”
The pair chuckled and leaned in for a tender kiss. Julie-Su’s hands slid up to his shoulders, Knuckles’ arms curled around her back as they fell deeper into the kiss, neither seeming interested in stopping what they’d started.
Vector rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, enough already!”
They parted, grinning at the crocodile, indicating that their intensity had been entirely for his benefit.
“Hey…you still with me?”
Julie-Su started at the sound of Sonic’s voice. The hedgehog hadn’t even been in attendance.
“Sorry…” She said softly. “I was just…” She reached out a trembling hand and placed it gently on the glass.
Sonic looked at her with equal sadness. “I know exactly how you feel.” He said softly.
“They told you?”
“Tai…uh…Miles did…”
“She remained faithful to you, you know…” Julie-Su said softly.
“What?” Sonic wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about.
“Sally.” She explained. “After she lost you…she never looked at anybody else. And believe me, she had offers…”
“Really?”
“Yeah…” she smiled sadly. “The last time I saw her…” She slid her hand down the photograph…
Sally was sitting alone, staring off into the distance at nothing in particular. She sighed deeply.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up to see Julie-Su, looking stunning in her white gown.
“I’m fine…” she replied. “Just feeling a little…”
“I understand…” The echidna said softly. “I felt the same way that year we all thought he was…”
Sally nodded.
“You know…” Julie-Su began as she sat down beside her friend. “I don’t think he’d want you to be unhappy…or alone…I think he’d want you to…move on…”
Sally looked at her then, her face betraying no emotion. She looked towards Knuckles, Julie-Su following her gaze. He was dancing with Ash-Le, holding his little sister with one powerful arm, her head resting on his shoulder. It was one of the sweetest things imaginable.
“Could you?” Sally asked.
“I guess not…”
“I suggest you hold on to him as long as you can…” Sally said to her.
She looked at her friend, a little worried at both what she had said, and the way she had said it. She rose quietly, walking towards the echidna siblings. She tapped Ash-Le lightly on the shoulder. The little echidna beamed happily at her.
“Okay, squirt…” She smiled back. “You’ve hogged him long enough.”
Ash-Le seemed reluctant to give up her dance partner. Julie-Su took hold of Knuckles’ left hand and showed the little echidna the recently placed golden band. “You see this…” she smiled at his little sister. “This means he belongs to me now.”
“Hey!” Knuckles protested.
“But, I’m willing to share him…”She said as she took hold of both their hands. “A little bit…” As a trio, they resumed the dance…
“I know everybody thinks I’m nuts…” She said softly. “Insisting that he’s still alive.” She looked at Sonic with an intense determination in her eyes. “But…when Dimitri stabbed him with the Blade of Order, I FELT him die…” She fisted her hand over his heart. “When he didn’t come back from Robotropolis…when everybody assumed he was dead…again…I didn’t feel a thing…
“And every now and then…I feel it…I feel his presence…”
“Jules…”
“That’s why Lara-Su keeps going out there…” She went on. “She’s looking for him…”
Sonic raised a suspicious brow. It sounded too hard to believe. Knuckles was tough. If he WAS alive, surely he’d have found a way home by now, especially when he had Julie-Su and Lara-Su to come home to.
But then, Julie-Su had been right about Robotnik’s Metal Knuckles. Everybody else had been fooled by it, but she had known instantly that it wasn’t him.
Was it possible? Was Knuckles truly alive? And if so, what about Espio, Mighty and Ray?
Sonic decided to find out. He knew, with Tails…uh…Miles’ help, he could accomplish anything.
