Disclaimer: I do not own the Sonic the Hedgehog series or any of the characters in this story except the ones that I created. Otherwise, they belong to Sega. If you like my original characters and would like to use them, you must ask me first.

Author's Note: If you don't like KnuxTikal pairing, then don't waste your time by reading this story or my time by leaving me a flame.

The sun began to rise over the Mobian hills while a tiny echidna village on the Floating Island slept. Everyone except a young echidna boy, who was only one day short of turning fifteen. His name was Knuckles, and he had gotten up early to visit the vineyard outside of the village for a little breakfast. He started training with his father, Goweh, every morning at dawn, so if he wanted breakfast, he had to eat it before the sun rose. Otherwise, he would have to train on an empty stomach.

So there he stood, in the early morning, munching on his favorite food. Suddenly, he heard a rooster crow in the distance.

"Crap!" he said. "I completely lost track of time! Dad's gonna kill me!"

Knuckles ran through the vineyard and up the path to his house. A tall, brown, rugged echidna was waiting for him with two wooden staffs. This was Goweh.

"You're late," he said.

"I'm sorry," said Knuckles, trying to catch his breath. Goweh looked critically at Knuckles with his dark brown eyes.

"Well," he said, "We're going to have to work extra hard today." He tossed one of the staffs to Knuckles, who, somehow, managed to catch it.

"Let's go," said Goweh.

"Wait," said Knuckles, still out of breath. "Can't I catch my breath first?"

"You can catch your breath when we finish at noon," said Goweh. "Now let's go."

Knuckles used the staff to stand up straight and followed his father to the back of their small stone house.

"Alright," said Goweh. "Let's get started." Knuckles mustered up all of the strength that he could and held up his staff. He had already learned a number of staff fighting techniques, and right now he was just practicing. Swings, blows, and various defense tactics, he knew them all and tried as hard he could to execute them.

"Now," said Goweh. "Come at me!" Knuckles jumped towards him to strike, but Goweh blocked the attack.

"Come on!" said Goweh. "HIT ME!" Knuckles tried again strike him, but Goweh blocked the blow, hit Knuckles on the left side on the head, and knocked him to the ground.

"Get up," said Goweh. Knuckles stood up slowly.

"Try again," said Goweh. Knuckles swung his staff at his father. Goweh ducked, then swung his staff at Knuckles' legs, knocking him to the ground.

"You have to pay attention at all times," said Goweh. He looked up at the sky. The sun was directly overhead. He tossed his staff down next to Knuckles.

"We're done for today," said Goweh. Then he turned an walked away. Knuckles didn't move. He just laid there on the ground in pain. His whole body was burning and his lungs felt like an inferno. He breathed heavily, each breath painful. Knuckles closed his eyes.

"No more," he thought. "No more." Suddenly, he heard footsteps running towards him.

"Knuckles!" came the voice of a young woman. Knuckles opened his eyes and saw a young, red echidna woman staring at him.

"Mom," he said breathlessly. His mother cradled him in her arms and handed him a water skin.

"Here," she said. "Drink this."

Knuckles quickly drank the water.

"Felika!" came Goweh's voice. Knuckles' mother turned around.

"You're going to make him weak," said Goweh.

"NO!" said Felika. "You are!" She picked Knuckles up and carried him towards the back door. He was heavy, but still, he was her baby.

"How is he supposed to become a man if you treat him like a child?" said Goweh.

"How is he supposed to become a man if you kill him with your training?" Felika replied. She carried Knuckles into his room and laid him on his bed.

"You rest," she said. "I'll bring you your lunch." She turned and walked out of the room.

Knuckles curled himself up and stared down towards the end of the bed. The pain wasn't so bad anymore, and he could almost breathe properly again. Soon, Felika returned to the room carrying a plate. On the plate was a sandwich and a small bunch of grapes.

"Here you go, baby," she said.

"Mom," said Knuckles as he sat up. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"You'll always be my baby," said Felika as she handed Knuckles the plate and sat down next to him. She was silent for a while before she spoke again.

"You don't have to go to your lessons today," she said.

"Nah, I'll go," said Knuckles with a mouthful of food. "Master Shatarah's expecting me."

"Are you sure that you're rested enough?" asked Felika.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," said Knuckles. Felika looked at him with concern, then stood and walked out of the room. Knuckles turned and looked out of the window next to his bed. The birds were singing, the breeze was blowing, and there wasn't a cloud in sight.

"Maybe today won't be so bad," he thought. Then he heard his parents talking in the kitchen.

"Tomorrow is his birthday," said Felika. "Let him have the day off."

"No," said Goweh. "If he doesn't work tomorrow, he won't want to work the day after that." Knuckles set his plate on the small nightstand under his window and slowly walked towards the kitchen.

"He hasn't had a real birthday in five years!" said Felika.

"He was chosen!" said Goweh. "He was chosen by Shatarah himself! He needs the training!"

"You push him too hard!" said Felika.

"He's my son!" said Goweh.

"NO!" said Felika as tears filled her green eyes. "HE'S MY SON!" Goweh looked at her as a confused look found it's was to his face.

"He's your punching-bag," said Felika. "That's how you treat him. You don't deserve to call him your son, because you certainly don't treat him like he is!"

"If I'm not hard on him now, then he won't be able to guard the Master Emerald when the time comes!" came Goweh's retort. By this time, Knuckles had made his way to the kitchen door. Felika and Goweh turned around and looked at him with surprise. Knuckles stared back at them. He tired to think of something to say, but nothing came.

"Knuckles," said Felika as she walked towards him. Knuckles turned and ran out the front door.

"Knuckles!" called Felika as she chased him outside. She stopped a few yards from the door.

"KNUCKLES!!" she yelled, but he ignored her and kept running.

Knuckles ran down a path towards the ruins outside of the village. It was in these ruins that the Alter of the Master Emerald stood at the top of a long staircase. At the bottom and to the left of the staircase was a tree. The tree had several low branches, and close to the top of the tree was a branch that was big enough to lay on. Knuckles climbed up to that branch and laid down on it.

"Why didn't they tell me?" he thought. "At least three people knew. Someone could have said SOMETHING."

Knuckles laid there and thought about what had just happened until he heard someone call him.

"Knuckles!" came the voice of an old man. Knuckles looked down to see his teacher. He was a brownish-orange color, had a long, white beard, and bushy eyebrows. He was dressed in what looked like a tribal robe, and he carried a walking staff with brightly colored feathers tied to the top.

"Oh, there you are," he said looking up into the tree. "I've been looking for you."

"Sorry Master Shatarah," said Knuckles as he climbed down the tree. "I was just thinking."

"Oh?" said Shatarah. "About what?" Knuckles looked at his teacher. Shatarah's dark brown eyes twinkled, letting Knuckles know that he could trust him.

"I was wondering why nobody told me that I was going to be the next Emerald Guardian," he said. Shatarah looked at his young student.

"Come," he said as he placed his hand on Knuckles' shoulder. "There is much for me to tell you." Then the two of them walked up the steps towards the Alter of the Master Emerald.