“With this transaction...The alliance between the echidnas and the rat tribeof the Takashan is complete!”
               The were a few cringes amongst the younger inhabitants of the rats due to Locke’s mispronunciation of the name, but it was drowned out before the mighty roar of the spectators, as the green gem was handed to the guardian, and the red totem to the chief of the desert rats. They bowed and shook hads cordially, then the celebration began...

          The solomn form snuck through the underbrush, beady eyes focused on a tree ahead. He crouched, ready to leap a dreadlock fluttering softly in the swift gust that followed. The echidna leapt into the air, dive bombing toward the tree in a glide form, fist pulled back as he slams to the tree, denting it so hard inward that it seems to want to shout. It cracks occasionally as he leaps back in a defensive pose.
          “Crap.” He whispers, noticing his target not where he thought. A soft ‘click’ behind his head widened his eyes.
          “Check mate” The female voice chuckled.
          The red echidna’s arms drew up slowly.
          “Looks like you got me” He muttered. Only before kicking his feet out in front of him to fall on his back, his hands arching back to twist the blaster from the females hands and pointing it back at her on his back.
           She swiftly kicked his wrist hard, sending the gun flying.
          “Youch!” He croaked before jumping up to avoid another kick but to the head, flipping backwards to the tree, where he breathed deeply, sweat rolling down his brow. His back to the tree, he suddenly lowers his eyes and throws a puch behind him into thin air, a thunk of hard flesh follows, followed by another voices. “Oww!”
          The chameleon fall from behind the echidna, nose bleeding a little. The sinister eyes of the dreadlocked echidna falls on the female picking up her blaster. He grins and gets ready to sprint had the tree not suddely been toppled on top of him. The echidna turs speedily and socks the tree at its trunk and the soft back shatters, causing it to alter course and fall beside him.
          A shot rang out from the blaster he had forgotten all about, he turned suddenly to see the tangle weights wrap around him and bind his arms and legs together. The chameleon leapt on top of him, and tossed him over the branch of another nearby tree, hanging him upside down.
          His opponents all laughed.
          The chameleon, a sadistic grin on his face approached him, chuckling madly...and honked the echidna’s nose.
          “Thats for giving me a bloody nose.”
          “Ack! Eispo gimme a break!” The echidnas altered pitched voice begged with no air through his nose.
          “Sorry Knux, I owe you this.” As he flicked it playfully.
          “Damnit” The echidna swung at him puffing.
          The purple female echidna walked slowly to him, his eyes level with hers. “Well done...” Espio moves to let her have a chance to tease the captured.
          “I’ll naver talk!” Knuckles gloated.
          “I don’t need you to talk. “ She grinned, holding his face to hers in a deep lucious kiss.
          Knuckles’ eyes were took up his head and were dialated, his cheeks as red as the rest of him. But Julie-Su finished off with the customary honking of his nose, he hated that.
          “Julie-Su you’re supposed to punish him when we get him.” The chameleon tapped his foot.
          “Who says she didn’t?” A nearby aligator piped up sarcastically.
          Julie-Su glared.
           “Jelous?” Mighty asked.
          “Har har” The croc spat.
          Knuckles still resembled a skarlet sheet.
          “Wow, look at him blush!” Charmy buzzed by him.
          Knuckles shook his head hard. “I’m upside down you dolt, lemme down! You win!” He sputtered.
          Julie-Su slid a switch on her blaster, making the magnetic weights repel each other, unwrapping knuckles as he fell, but he landed on his knees with grace. But afterwards still tripping over his own feet with dizzyness with a thunk.
          “Was it THAT good of a kiss?” Julie-Su teased. Everyone but vector and Espio rolled their eyed a bit, Vector shook his head while Espio ignored it.
          “So what now” The chameleon piped up. “You won at 1 and 2 opponents, but us 3 did you in. What now?”
          “Yea I’m done for the day.” Mighty responded.
          The defeated echidna rolled his eyes. “I coulda pulled it off had I really wanted to hit Espio harder and actually pull the trigger on Jules.”
          “Maybe, but wer coulda won if the tree I pushed on you was heavy, and if Julie-Su didn’t fire weights.” Mighty retorted.
          “Fine fine...lunch is on me.” The rest of the figures cheered.
          “Besides, you wouldn’t have fired on Julie-Su” Charmy concluded. “Doesn’t that go against the rules of a guardian.”
          “You tell me where it says I can’t use a blaster as a guardian and I’ll pay for dinner.” Knuckles retaliated.
          A fire ant suddenly bamfed on Knuckles shoulder. “he’s got you there Charmy my boy...there is no law...it is a code of honor. To not sink to the level of...” He decided to watch his words as Julie-Su was prepared to give a dirty look. “...those who might abuse the tool.” He finished.
          “Really...so should I be in a dire situation and need something like a blaster...”
          “The guardian council would turn the other cheek I’m sure” Archemides responded. “But that does not--...”
          “I know, I know, only when I HAVE to.”
          “Still...I don’t like the sound of your acceptance...guardians are not to use ancient technolog Knuckles, simple as that.”
          “Fine...”
          Echidnaopolis was often the best bet fo lunch. Again Kuckles walked proudly beside Julie-Su, trying to make her feel better about the frequent stares he got by escorting a former legioneir. A usual spot where Mighty prefered was decided simply because it was closest...Knuckles hated fad restaurants. Mighty tried to flirt with the lady echidnas on roller skates simply for fun but was lost in the unwanted spotlight on the guardian who blessed them with his pressence. Knuckles of course incisted that they lay off, though he chose kinder words.
          “You know you like it.” Julie-Su teased.
          “If I liked it I coulda ran up a large bill on the house by now.”
          Archemedes never stayed for lunch, he always went off on his own. Mid way through his grapes and salad, the fire ant teleported directly on Knuckles’ nose and was panicked to an awesome extent.
          “Knuckles!! Come quick, theres an intruder in the crystaline cavern!!”
          “...The emeralds!!” Knuckles got up quick to run out, but Archemedes already teleported him, leaving the restaurant with an odd silence with the happenings. Julie-Su sighed and put her cheek in her hands.
          He didn’t even say goodbye...when will I ever learn...
They both appeared to their suprise, in a completely darkened room.
          “Why arent the torches lit?” Knuckles whispered.
          “No clue m’boy...” Archemedes shrugged, he reathed deep and spewed fire along a nearby torch but it died immidiatly.
          “That isn’t right...” Archemedes muttered.
          Knuckles closed his eyes and was silent. Archemedes whispered again.
          “We’re not alone Knuckles, someones...”
          “HERE!” Knuckles threw a puch at blackness catching a thud of flesh.
          “OWW!” The figure fell with a crash, with a grunt he lept up and kicked knuckles across the chin seemingly without touching the ground. Knuckles flew to the other side of the caverns. Archemedes unleashed a fury of fire.
          The figures face lit up as a smile. A tall black rat with blonde hair looked back and moved his hand in the air, the flames obeyed his command. Archemedes was shocked and stepped back before the figure whispered.
          “Impressive...” and flicked Archemedes where Knuckles lay, both, groaning, they lash up to capture the theif, but the figure was gone.
          “Geeze...” Knuckles spat some blood.
          “He didn’t get the emerald...” Archemedes sighed.
          Knuckles stared in shock.
          “Not the emerald...” He glanced in the next room, the newest addition to the single emeralds was missing from its pedestal, the master emerals still lay in its gargantuen plac holder.
          “No...” Archemedes immidiatly called haven.
          Locke shot up from his seat at haven.
          “No!” He stood while the other guardians looked up from their random duties. “An emerald has been stolen...”
          Half of them sighed simply because apparently the master emerald was safe because they were still afloat...until a loud prolonged creak sound rocked the island.
          “WHAT??” Sojourner shrieked. “We’re sinking?”
          “Is the master emerald lost??” Spectre added.
          “No...” Locke groaned. “The islands power has been re-apportioned to lift itself by the power of the smaller emerald we have recently found. The master emerald only partly controls it now, mostly it controls havens computers. We aren’t falling, just sinking...we have time...”
          Archemedes was waiting to hear that.
          “Knuckles we havn’t much time, the islands power was just recently experimentally weaned off the master emerald for power to guide it. The island is sinking slowly. Let’s go.” He tried to stay calm as he watched Knuckles nod, trying his hardest to control his anger, head out of the chamber.
          Specte immidiatly was at Locke’s side.
          “How long do we have Locke?” He asked without remourse.
          “About 5 hours, perhaps a little less.” He replied, typing frantically on his computers.
          “Where will the island be?”
          “Well if we completely change our path we could be over water, but not asnywhere shallow, so we wont be floating. And there isn’t any uninhabited area we could hope to stop at, casualties everywhere.” Locke spurted.
          “That’s...if Knuckles doesn’t find it.” Spectre added.
          Locke nodded, but there wasn’t any question...Knuckles had to find it.