Knuckles jr. Is so cute.🥰

“You said you were hungry“

oooh this is evil and delightfully cruel. I could totally see Eggman doing this to a captive Sonic😍

Psychologists would have a field day with Knuckles. In fact he provide a great case study on the effects of literally having to raise oneself alone from birth.

Even orphans usually have some (albeit faint) memories of their parents/caretakers and have someone (to sort of) raise them. Even kids in orphanages (which aren't always nice) get some education and support and get taught life skills and fed. Knuckles didn't have any of that. 😭😭😭

Momma Emerald is probably so proud, especially since the Chao are safe under Knuckles' watch. No Chao has to fear being trampled in the name of greed anymore.

Tikal probably smiles upon him from the afterlife

Damnit, I just can’t help myself.

~~~~~

The little red echidna puggle sat on his knees, staring down at the little blue flicky on the ground. It lay still, its tiny beak parted slightly. He reached forward slowly, poking it with a shaky finger. It was cool to the touch, and did not move at his prodding.

The puggle’s brow furrowed. He’d never seen a flicky do this before. He recognized this particular one from a few days before. It had been moving a little slower than its kin, and hadn’t wanted to eat when he offered the rest of the flock some berries he’d picked from the meadow.

Was it sleeping? Sick? Did it need help? Whenever he was sick or hurt, he would go to the big green stone at the top of the stairs. It would help make him feel better. Maybe it could help the little flicky, too.

Glancing up, the puggle found the rest of the flock peering down at him. He chirped up to them, trying to convey his intent. The tilted their heads as they listened, but did not respond to his calls. He shook his head in slight annoyance, and gently cupped the still flicky in his hands. Then he ran toward the big gem.

Fear crawled up the young echidna’s chest, and he fought off panic through sheer will. The flicky lay still in his hands, its body cool and limp. The boy’s skin prickled into goosebumps. It was unnatural. He ran faster.

Finally the stone alter came into view, and he hurried up the steps. Once before the green gem, he held the little flicky up, urging the large jewel to help it with a soft whine.

The gem glowed softly, and the puggle felt a warmth flow into him, encircling his heart as an image filled his mind. He saw a flower, growing from a tiny seed, standing tall as its petals opened, before wilting and returning to the ground. He’d seen this play out in the few years he explored the island he called home. That was the natural order of things. Plants grew, then returned to the soil to nourish it and make it healthy for future plants. It was one of the first things the large gem had shown him.

But what did a flower have to do with this sick flicky? The puggle held it up again, making a louder, more urgent grunt. It was sick. Hurt maybe. The gem had to help it, like it helped him.

The jewel shimmered once more, and a breeze blew through the nearby trees, sounding like a soft sigh. Another wave of warmth in his chest, and new pictures appeared in his head.

This time of a flicky, like the one he held.

It started as an egg, which hatched to reveal a little naked chick. That chick grew, blue feathers poking out as it matured. It hopped about, full of energy and vitality, before slowing down. Finally it lay down, growing still.

Just like the one in his hands.

The puggle stood still, the meaning of the images sinking in. He pulled his hands back, and stared down at the flicky.

Oh.

Despite the warmth the gem tried to send him, a chill filled the puggle’s belly, climbing up to settle behind his ribs. His heart hurt, it squeezed and tightened at the thought that he would never play with this flicky again, that it would never fly or sing or snuggle against him as they napped beneath the warm sun again.

Tears pricked the boy’s eyes, and he whined as the first ones trickled down his muzzle. Gone. His little flicky friend was gone. A sob pushed out past the knot in his throat, and he pulled the flicky to his chest to hug it tight.

The gem reached out to him, filling him with warmth and images of the flicky when it had been happy and full of life. When it and he had snacked on berries, and chirped to each other as they sat in nearby trees. Showing him the joy the little animal had felt, being his friend.

Slowly, the young echidna’s tears slowed. His friend was gone, but the memories were still there. He would try to keep those near his heart, even though he would miss the little flicky.

Without looking back at the gem, the puggle turned and walked back down the steps, toward the tree he’d found the flicky beneath. He gently laid it down, and used his claws to dig a deep hole. He dug carefully, wanting it to be large enough to lay the flicky inside comfortably.

Once he was satisfied with his work, he gently lay the little animal inside, carefully folding its wings in to seat them properly against its little body. He stared at the hole for a moment, before pulling the dirt back inside.

The puggle sat there, on his knees, for a long time. Tears came and went, and sometimes he sobbed as though his heart were breaking. The gem did what it could to comfort him, but knew this was something he needed to work through. It couldn’t shield him from death, nor did it want to. But it reached out and offered him as much support and love it could.

It would not be the last time the boy who would eventually come to be called Knuckles would encounter death. But he would come to view it as a painful, yet natural part of life.

Poor Knuckles! He not only had to be a guardian, but witnessed death and had to be an undertaker from a very young age. Ouch!😭

This is so cute. I also really like how one of the Chao is a Knuckles Chao ( I like the idea of one of the Chao idolizing Knuckles so much that they  end up looking like him).

The Knuckles Clan being such terrible awful people is why I'm so fond of Knuckles being a gentle nurturing soul under all that grump. "Knuckles" was probably synonymous with slaughter and pillaging 3000 years ago. They were known as conquerors and murderers. I think they'd see Knuckles' kindness as a weakness. See him taking their name to be a mockery. He's turning the name of the clan from something to be feared, to something that brings hope.

Knuckles has openly derided the actions of his ancestors before. Warns others not to be like them. So I could see him directly going against what they stood for.

The Echidnas remind me of the saiyans from dragon Ball z. The Saiyans much like the Echidnas, were a violent bloodthirsty warrior species. They were born with amazing powers , much stronger that the average species. They would use their amazing power to conquer and anihilate other species. They agreed to serve a Warlord named Frieza and agreed to wipe out the inhabitants of random planets so he could sell them for the highest bidder. As a result the Saiyans were widely known across the galaxy for being a race of assholes. They were widely hated and feared for their actions.

It eventually got to the point that even Frieza started fearing the Saiyans and he wiped most of them out. However a tiny handful survived. One of them survived by being sent to earth as a child to destroy it but was raised by a kindly human instead. The child's name was Goku and he grew up to be pretty much a saint. Unlike the rest of the saiyans, he would use his powers to protect people and earth from evil doers and ne'er-do-wells. His kindness is quite the contrast to the rest of his bloodthirsty species.

Even Goku, when he found out about the destruction of the saiyans, all but outright said that they got what they deserved and that they have paid for their crimes for being wiped out, Similar to what knuckles said about his own ancestors.

Yasss. I'm really obsessed with the topic of these ghosts, like who they were in life. Their origins would make great fanfic fuel.

I suspect the red mountain ghosts are probably heinous criminals that were executed by the electric chair . Maybe they were members of of a rival tribe? Or maybe they were POWs?

maybe the pyramid cave ghosts were high ranking warriors? Either way the idea that Eggy disturbed the ghosts from eternal rest and shoved them into capsules is quite interesting. It seems that even the dead aren't safe from eggman's evil.

Ellinia Bgm collection

Remember maples story. I used to spend hours playing it after school. Good times