Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Shake Me Down ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. Enjoy.

Chapter One

I can't begin to explain how I'm really feeling...you see, I haven't had much contact with the outside world-disregarding the adventures with my "friends." I use that term lightly however; as I haven't seen any of them in what is it…two, three years now? None of them have taken the time to contact grumpy old me. Maybe my bright red fur repels their senses somehow…maybe I smell?

Knuckles lifted an arm and took a good whiff. He winced.

Okay, so maybe I should bathe more often? I guess it's hard to remember to do that when you have no one to impress. It's a bit difficult to get shampoo here regularly as well. Somehow leaving this island and my duties just for some fruity smelling hygiene in a little bottle seems a bit insignificant.

He huffed, and sat down abruptly below the shrine of the master emerald with a loud thud, stirring up a large cloud of dust. Arms crossed, he lowered his head and closed his eyes in thought. He could feel the pulsing power of the emerald at his back, a constant reminder of all he was and all he would ever be: the last guardian. This thought, combined with the loneliness of knowing he was the last of his kind was almost enough to drive him spiraling down into a severe depression. However, Knuckles was tough, and tried to look at it all as if he was blessed-not an easy thing to do on such a day….

He sighed, opened his eyes and looked to the sky. No blue-quilled speed demon, no two-tailed creature, no pink fuzzy screechy thing and all her weird friends...just no one, not even her.

Could this be loneliness?

Knuckles shivered as a cold breeze ruffled his dreads. There were dark clouds rolling in from the distance that looked as though they were carrying the promise of a huge downpour.

Great, another birthday spent trying to survive and care for this stupid glowing rock. I wish it were mobile and not confined to this large slab of floating rock and dirt.

He glanced to his left, noting the notches in the granite next to him. …19…20…21 notches. He was turning twenty-one. Well at least he was now legal to get shamelessly drunk, though that never stopped him before. There was so much fruit on the island; it was easy to make homemade alcohol.

He looked to the master emerald as another thought crossed his mind. How come she hadn't even shown up once to try and get a glimpse of the green stone?

Now that Eggman passed away from being such an unhealthy fat ass, there hasn't been anyone to replace him and his evil deeds. I assume because of his passing, trying to steal the master emerald isn't as fun with this new "be good, do good" feeling floating in the air. She probably turned over a new leaf and ended her thieving ways. Or…maybe she found someone, and I never meant anything to her to begin with…she did seem to be getting along well with Shadow last I saw her….

Knuckles clenched his fist and snarled.

But how can I forget her gorgeous blue eyes? The smile that seemed to grace her shiny lips every time we bantered back and forth, her shameless flirting…if only I wasn't so shy…if only I wasn't stuck here.

He sighed once more and slowly stood up, bracing himself with a hand on his knee while eyeing the dark clouds. They seemed to be creeping closer and closer with each passing second. He really didn't like how they looked.

A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

Nope, he didn't like how they looked at all.

Feeling the first of many rain drops to come, he slowly made his way down from the shrine and began walking towards his house, which was conveniently located in the forest directly across from the shrine. He built it there on purpose for occasions such as this, so when he couldn't be sitting directly in front of the emerald, he would at least still be able to keep an eye on it from a near distance.

He closed his front door and trekked into the kitchen. Even though he was away from society, he still had electricity running through his home, a gift from the master emerald. Now if only the green jewel could talk…

He opened his fridge and grabbed a bowl of freshly washed red grapes; popping a few in his mouth as made his way towards the living room. He plopped down onto the couch, sinking into the soft cushions while cradling his precious bowl of grapes close to his chest.

The rain was coming down steadily now; creating a symphony of sound on his roof that was somehow soothing to his ears. He crunched on a few more grapes, their crisp, delightful flavor igniting his taste buds. He stared at the black T.V. screen in front of him but couldn't bring himself to turn it on…it hadn't been turned on it quite some time now, did it even work?

The sparse furnishings in the house were acquired over the few times Knuckles had spent off of the island. Some were even gifts from past visitors, though in actuality, his house was pretty bare. In the living room a tan sofa, coffee table, moderately sized T.V. and tall bookcase sat upon hardwood floors covered with a single circular red rug. These items were all that graced the large room. If he were to look left, he would see a giant window about the size of the wall. That was his emerald-watching window. His bedroom was in the next room over and was as equally bare as his living room, though instead of a couch, he had a normal bed big enough for two.

He frowned as his eyelids began to droop, resisting his futile efforts to stay open. Before he knew it-lack of sleep caught up to him. His head tilted forward and the bowl of grapes fell with a clatter on the floor, grapes scattering in all directions. The last thing he heard before sleep claimed his tired body was the faint sound of a phone ringing…