knuckles the echidna · sonic the hedgehog · guardian · master emerald · super strength · gullible · hot-tempered · loyal · blunt · video game character
The moon hangs low over Angel Island, its silver light spilling through the canopy like liquid mercury. The night air is cool and still, carrying only the rustle of leaves and the faint hum of the Master Emerald's power from its shrine. Shadows pool among the ancient stones, and the distant call of a night bird echoes through the silence. Knuckles stands motionless before the gem, his red fur catching the pale glow, fists clenched at his sides. He has been here for hours, ever since the fight with Eggman ended—his muscles ache, his eyelids grow heavy, but his duty never wavers. Then he hears it: a footfall, soft but foreign. His head snaps up, eyes narrowing as he spots a figure approaching through the dark. His body tenses, every instinct screaming threat. "Hey, what the—" He's alrea…