The Special Girl

A Knuckles Fanfic by Sly Cat

LEGAL STUFF: This story is copyright © 2000 to the author. The characters are the property of Sega and Archie comics, except for Kira-leh who is of my creation. Distribution is highly encouraged unless you try to sell it for money or taking credit of it yourself. All the normal restrictions under U.S. copyright laws (title 17, U.S. code) apply.
TIME FRAME: About three to four years from the normal time frame.




          Spectre open his eyes and gasped at what he saw. He was standing in air, with the ground a few miles away, but his feet told him that he was standing on a stationary surface that he could not see. Far away, the sun was just playing peek-a-boo over the Mobius surface. The sight was majestic, but what he focused the most on was his legs.
          They were there! Strong and healthy as they were in his youth. Spectre tried them out, shaking each leg in turn, kicking into the air. He looked around him and felt wildly happy, and with a laugh he broke into a gallop. He felt the wind run against his face and through his dreadlocks with satisfaction. He ran through clouds and felt their lightness. This was all he ever wanted.
          He stopped suddenly as he felt the warm presence of another being. Spectre looked around an saw something that made his blood hungry and his knees weak. His heart fluttered with the instinctive beat of the soultouch.
          With pale wings the echidna woman seemed to float in mid air. Her fur pink, her dreadlocks long, and her face wrinkled with old age, but was none the less beautiful. A luminous glow encircled her as if she was a creature from another world. Her eyes showed kindness and understanding but were now sad as she stared into the sunset.
          "Kira-leh?" Spectre called softly, the tears stinging his eyes. "Is that you?"
          Kira-leh turned around, her eyes growing wide. "Spectre!" she called out, her arms wide open.
          Spectre shot like an arrow to her arms and held her tight, like if he were to let go she would drop all the way to the ground. They both trembled in each others arms, and Spectre fought a futile battle to keep the tears from rolling down his face.
          "Hush," Kira-leh gently soothed him, "the demons with not get you." She seemed to fade from his senses.
          "No!" Spectre shouted. "No! Please! Don't leave me again!"
          "I have never left you," Kira-leh said gently, while reaching her hand to pat his cheek. "You are never alone."
          Spectre made a sobbing sound like a child would make, and kissed Kira-leh's hand. She took his face in both her hand and pressed her lips against his. And all at once she was gone.

          Spectre woke up with his eyes still closed, trying to hang on to the dream for as long as he could. It sailed away all too soon. As soon as it did, the tears cascaded from his eyes. Disgusting, he thought. She's been gone for years and you're still haunted by her.
          "Forget her," he said to himself harshly. "She's gone."
          He propped himself up to a sitting position, trying to gulp swallow his sobs. For a second he looked at his legless body, replaced by a machine that levitated him at the height he should have been. His contorted figure melded with metal filled him with more self loathing, and he quickly turned on the contraption and hid it under his black robe.
          Spectre "walked" to the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face was tear-stained. He was about to wash it away when he erupted into tears again. After a few minutes, he regained control again. "What is wrong with you?" he shouted to the mirror.
          "Father?"
          Spectre turned around fast and saw Sojourner. He hadn't even heard him come in, and there he was staring at him with a confused and scared look etched on his face. "What do you want?" Spectre snapped, more harshly than he had wanted.
          Sojourner jumped back at his fathers tone, then said, "I just came to tell you that Knuckles and new guardian will be here any moment." He paused. "Are you alright?"
          "Why wouldn't I be?"
          "You were talking to yourself." Sojourner looked concerned.
          "I am perfectly fine," Spectre insisted firmly.
          Sojourner wasn't satisfied. He was about to ask more when Thunderhawk came with a big smile on his face. "What is it?" Sojourner asked him.
          "We have a sister in the brotherhood again," he announced cheerfully.

          Most of the brotherhood waited with anticipation for Knuckles arrival, except for Spectre who refused to look up from the ground. He knew he was being morose for no reason, but he couldn't help it.
          Sojourner glanced at him once in a while, still concerned by what he saw a few minutes ago. He wondered if his father was suffering from depression, or going mad. But all his cares and concerns were put in the back of his mind when the aircraft arrived.
          Knuckles came into the room with an impossibly small bundle curled up against his chest. The brotherhood gathered around him, for they all delighted in the sight of a new heir, even Locke, though he had already meet his granddaughter. The new guardian cooed with delight at all the attention, but Knuckles pushed them away. "Come on, she has to breath," he said, too happy to be really bothered. He didn't notice that Spectre did not get up or even look at the new arrival, his eyes still fixed on the floor. He showed no interest.
          "She's a beauty," complimented Sabre. "What did you name her?"
          "Lara-su," Knuckles answered proudly.
          "She has Julie-su's face," Sabre noted, touching her head.
          "And your eyes," Thunderhawk commented, tickling her belly.
          Sojourner gazed at her for a moment, and then announced, "She looks like my mother."
          Those words rang in Spectre's head. He looked up for the first time in the proceedings and saw that Knuckles had only just noticed him there. He frowned as Spectre stood up and moved towards the group.
          Spectre's eyes were expressionless at first as he gazed at the giggling baby. But Sojourner thought he saw something flicker there after a moment.
          Lara-su grew strangely quiet as Spectre cupped his hand under her chin and held her head steady. Knuckles started to tense in her daughters defense, but Locke's hand on his shoulder prevented him from taking action.
          Spectre inspected the girls face closely, peering at the build of her eyes, nose, and snout. He then moved her head gently so he could see her profile, and then back again. "She does look like my wife," he whispered, his eyes growing soft.
          He let go of her chin and he sighed deeply, trying to control his emotions. "May I hold her?" Spectre asked Knuckles.
          Knuckles looked at Spectre as if he were a swatbot trying to take his daughter away to Robotnic. It made Spectre's soul scream.
          "I am not your enemy, Knuckles," he said in a voice of grief, his face conveying every ounce of his pain.
          Knuckles was stunned. He never saw anything like this from this particular member of his family. He gently handed his bundle to his grandfather.
          Separated from her father, Lara-su immediately began to cry. Spectre looked like her was going to cry himself. He rubbed his cheek against her forehead and rocked her gently.
          "Hush," he soothed her, "the demons will not get you." He peered into her innocent face. "I promise you that. You are never alone."
          Spectre handed Lara-su back to Knuckles, who didn't know what to say. He bobbed his head as if to say thanks.
          "Be careful with her," Spectre told Knuckles. "She's special."
          "I already know that." Knuckles smiled.
          Spectre smiled back.