What is Real?  Or
My World is Falling Apart..
By

Knuckles the echinda is walking around a gloomy looking cave.  Suddenly 
he hears a voice yell.  "Leave me alone you jerk or I'll show you what 
I'm capable of!!

"That voice?!  A female no doubt.. is it Su?"  Knuckles thinks.

To get a better look he sinks his claws into a cliff and starts 
climbing upwards.  He sees Julie-Su on top of a cliff on the other side.  Her 
arms are over her head as a Dark Legionnaire is pointing a gun at her.  
Upon seeing this Knuckles jumps off the cliff and glides to the other 
side attaching himself to the edge of the cliff.

"Hey villain's lacky down here!!"  Knuckles yells with mockery in his 
voice.

The Legionnarie turns around and looks down at Knuckles.  Who then 
jumps up into the air and punches the Legionnarie in the face.  The 
Legionnarie drops his gun and Julie-Su picks it up.  Knuckles  lands on the 
ground and runs around to Julie-Su.

"You okay Su?"  Knuckles asks with concern in his voice.

"Not really."  Julie-Su says.  She holds her chest in pain.  "Stupid 
legionnaires roughed me up a little..."

"Don't worry Su, I'll get you to a hospital." Knuckles picks her up in 
his arms and glides off the cliff.

"Thanks Knux."  

"No problem Su."

Knuckles still gliding looks on ahead, while a evil smile forms of 
Julie-Su's face.

"My hero recusing me as always."  Julie-Su says in a cold voice.

"Su?  Is something wrong?"

"What could be wrong?  HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!"

Knuckles sees that now he is holding Eggman!!!

"So Knuxy how about a kiss?  HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!"

"NO!!!!!"  Knuckles yells.  He looks around and sees that he is in his 
bed.

"A dream?... No it was more like a nightmare...."

Julie-Su appears.  "Good morning Knuckles."

Knuckles just stares at her in shock.

Julie-Su looks at Knuckles strangely.  "What?  Do I have two heads 
now?"

"Sorry Su.  I woke up from a nightmare."

"Was I in it?"

"In a way.."

"Meaning?"

Knuckles sighs.  "Forget about it.  It was only a dream."

"Looks like you could use your own advice."

Knuckles glares at Julie-Su annoyed.  "I have forgotten about it.  Now 
if you'll excuse me..."

"Where are you going?"  

"I need to be by myself for awhile."  Knuckles walks off.

Julie-Su watches him leave.  She starts thinking to herself.  "What is 
his problem?  He could of least said good-bye.  I wish he would talk to 
me about whatever is bothering him."

Knuckles is at a waterfall sitting near the water.  He is lost in deep 
thought.
 "Eggman as Julie... What does it mean?  That Eggman will come and do 
something to her?"

A voice calls out.  "Hello there Knuckles."

Knuckles doesn't even bother to look up.  "Oh hi Episo."

Episo walks up to him.  "You seem sullen all of a sudden.  Care to talk 
about it?"

"It's nothing really...  Only a dream.."

"About what?"  Espio looks at Knuckles curious.

"It was about me recusing Su only to find out that she's Eggman."

Episo looks surprised.  "That is weird."

"Episo if you see Julie-Su don't tell her about the dream."

"I won't you have my word."

"Bye Episo."

"Where are you going?"

"To Haven."

Meanwhile at Haven the echindas are having a meeting.  They all look 
happy and relaxed.

"So is everything going well?"  Sabre asks.

"Sure is.  We're having no problems at all."  Thunderhawk says.

"Everything's peachy perfect even."  Adds Sojournar.

Locke looks around with approval.  "Spendid.  Then I pronouce this 
meeting adjourned."

Suddenly a knock is heard.

Knuckles is at the door.  "Dad it's me."

"Open the door Son it's not locked"

Knuckles opens the door and walks in.  Upon seeing Knuckles Thunderhawk 
begins to talk again.  "As I was saying we're having nothing but 
problems."

"I hate to interupt this meeting Dad but I need to talk to you."

"I don't know Son I'm very busy right now."

Sabre looks at Locke.  "Go ahead."

"Let's step outside for a moment Son."

Locke and Knuckles walk out of the room.  The Brotherhood looks happy 
and relaxed again.

Sabre looks at the others.  "So wants to play chess?"

"Now Son what do you want to talk about?"

"Well now I have two questions to ask you.  I heard Thunderhawk say we 
have no problems then saying we do.  Am I missing something?"

Locke looks at Knuckles surprised and thinks to himself.  "He heard?!"  
He starts to look a little nervous.  "Uh.... well you see... We were 
talking about two different things.  We first started talking about the 
plumbing and then we started to talk about Echidnaopolis.."

Knuckles now looks more confused and a bit annoyed.  "I though 
Echindaopolis would be top priority over some stupid plumbing."

Locke now gets more nervous.  "The.. the thing is..." Locke then puts 
his hand in his pocket and press a button on a remote.  The alarms then 
go off.

Sabre opens the door. Locke get in here!!  We have the Dark Legion 
attacking!!

"I'm sorry Son but it looks like we both have to get back to our 
duties."

Knuckles sighs.  "I understand."  

In Echindaopolis the Dark Legion is standing around waiting for 
Knuckles to show up.  A single Legionnaire is on a hill with binoculars.  "I 
see him!!"

The Dark Legion then start to attack the city.  Knuckles arrives ready 
to fight. "You lacky's don't seem to get it do you?  No matter how many 
times you attack it will never enough to stop me.  Now prepare to.."

Knuckles stops and sees a bright light.  He walks towards the light as 
if a trance.

The light then speaks!!  "This isn't.."

"Isn't what?"  Knuckles asks.

"Isn't..."

A voice rings out.  "Help!!!"

Knuckles snaps out of his trance and turns around.  "Mom?!"  He rushes 
towards his mother then stops when he sees a Legionnaire pointing a gun 
at her head.

"MOM!!"

"Stop right there Guardian!!  Unless you want to see your dear old mom 
die!!!"

Back at Haven

"He heard the voice."  Locke says.

Sabre starts to panic.  "The voice?!  I thought it was gone!!"

Back to Echindaopolis the Dark Legion are looking around for where the 
voice was.

A Legionnaire looks at another.  "Think it has gotten far?"

The another looks back.  "Where exactly can a voice go?!

"I don't know!!  But we have to find it quick before it reaches the 
Guardian!"

Back to Knuckles who appears to be the Legionnaire's mercy.

"Ha!  So Guardian what are you going to do now?!"

The bright light appears and shines over the Legionnaire making him 
disappear without a trace.  Lare-Le leaps away from the light before it 
can touch her.

The light starts to speak again.  "This isn't r..."

Lara-Le grabs Knuckles by the arm.  "Hurry Son let's get out of here!!"  
Lara-Le runs off holding onto Knuckles arm.  

"Mom what's going on?!"

"I'm not sure but I know it can't be good.."

A voice screams through the air.  "HELP ME!!!"

Knuckles recognizes the voice.  "Julie?!"  He runs until he comes to a 
building and looks up.  Julie-Su is on top of the building.  Someone 
lurking in the shadows pushes her.  She falls off.  Knuckles rushes over 
just in time to catch her.

"Julie are you alright?!"

"Yes thanks to you."  She takes out a taser and zaps Knuckles with it 
causing him to lose conscious.

Lara-Le walks forward.  "Did you get him?"

"Of course I did!  I never miss!"

Knuckles slowly regains conscious and sees nothing but darkness.  "Am I 
dead?"

A voice answers.  "No you'll soon wish it was so."

Knuckles looks up in horror.  "Mom?"

"Yes it is me."

"What happened to you mom?!  Were you brainwashed?!"

Julie-Su comes into view with a smirk on her face.  "You'ld belived 
something as idiotic as that?"

Knuckles looks around.  There's others here.  I can feel it."

He looks and sees a light switch.

"Are you sure you want the lights on?"  Lara-Le asks.

"I'm positive."  He flips on the light switch and sees (besides Lara-Le 
and Julie-Su) everyone from Haven, Echidnaopolis and the Dark Legion.  
All of them have evil smiles on their faces.

Knuckles looks around in horror then thinks back to his dream.  
"Eggman... He's behind this isn't he?!"

Eggman steps into the room.  "Quite correct Guardian." 

Knuckles glares at Eggman with anger.  "What did you do to them?!"

"I didn't do anything they have always been like this.  None of them 
are r..."

"Real?"  Knuckles asks.

"Correct again!"

"You're wrong!!  They're real!!  They're existing right now!!"

Eggman smiles evilly at Knuckles.  "To a mere simpleton such as 
yourself they might exist."

"What are they then robots?!"

"No guardian you are wrong this time.  They are holograms."

"They can't be!!"

Eggman looks at Knuckles amused.  "In denial aren't we?  I'll show you 
then." 
 He takes out a big flashlight and shines it onto a echinda and he 
disappears.  "You see they are extremely life-like holograms but when a 
extremely bright light shines on them they disappear."

Knuckles narrows his eyes.  "Why did you do this?"

"To keep you occupied."

"So you could take the Chaos Emeralds?!"

"Exactly and what better way to keep you busy then to give you a whole 
bunch of new problems.  So Guardian all this time you've been played 
for a fool.  It'ld been funny if it were so pathetic."

Knuckles leaps up to attack Eggman when some echindas attack him 
dragging him down.

Eggman: So long Guardian I have some emeralds to steal!! HA HA HA HA HA 
HA!!!!!!"

Knuckles breaks free of the echindas grasp and punches Eggman in the 
face.  He grabs the flashlight and shines it on everyone except for his 
family and Julie-Su.

Knuckles looks at his parents with sadness in his eyes.  "Farewell mom 
and dad..."  He shines the light on them.  Then looks at Julie-Su.  
"Farewell Julie-Su..."

"Farewell?!  No Knux don't!!"

"I'm sorry I can't let you exist if you are a threat to my island."

Julie-Su looks at Knuckles with tears forming in her eyes.  "Please 
Knuckles don't kill me.  I'll go straight."  Takes out her gun, sets it on 
the ground and kicks it towards Knuckles.

"I promise Knuckles.. I'll never hurt you again.."  She walks towards 
him.

Knuckles looks at Julie-Su.  "I...."  Sees Julie-Su going for her 
taser.  "I'm sorry..."  He shines the light on her and she disappears.

"How?  How could I let this happen?"  He hears the start of a engine.

"Eggman.." 

He runs and sees Eggman in his hovercraft starting to fly off.

"COME BACK HERE!!!"

Knuckles runs with full speed, glides and attaches himself to the 
hovercraft.  He punches it and rips some wires out.

Eggman notices this.  "What are you doing you fool?!  We're going to 
crash!!"

"Not 'we' you." He jumps off and lands on the ground safely.  The 
hovercraft crashes into the ground.

Eggman gets up sore and bruised.  "Ow that hurt damn it."  He sees 
Knuckles standing before him.  

"You've tricked me for the last time!!"  He grabs Eggman's throat and 
starts to choke him

"Gak!!...please... can't... we... talk.. this.. over..?"

"There is nothing to talk about.  I'm going to kill you for giving me 
false hope.. A life that means nothing."

A familiar voice calls out "Knuckles!"

Knuckles looks away distracted. Eggman seeing his chance whacks 
Knuckles hard causing him to let go.  He  rushes over to his now broken 
hovercraft and takes out a jetpack. He puts it on then flies off.

Knuckles sees that Eggman has escaped.  "GODDAMN IT!!"

The Chaotix run towards Knuckles.

"We saw a crash what happened?"  Mighty asks.

Knuckles glares at Mighty losing his temper.  "What happened?!  WHAT 
HAPPENED?!  I was about to get rid of Eggman when you guys showed up!!"

Vector looks embarrassed "Opps sorry Knux.."

"SORRY?!  SORRY?!  Out of all the horrible things that has happened to 
me!!  All I get is a goddamn sorry!!"

Mighty looks at Knuckles with concern.  "What did happen Knuckles?"

Knuckles upon thinking about it feels great sorrow.  "I lost my kind... 
they never really existed... just a bunch of holograms....But I won't 
let it happen again. "  Looks at the Chaotix with a cold hard stare.  "I 
never want to see any of you guys again."

"What why?!"  Mighty asks worried.

"I've lost them all for a reason.. I was neglecting my duties. I need 
to depend only on myself."  Looks at the Chaotix one last time.  
"Farewell." 

The Chaotix watch sadly as Knuckles walks off thinking to himself.  
"Farewell all I have known as I take on a new life...."