Knuckles the Echidna II: What's my Destiny?

	Tap tap tap.
	"Think Knuckles, think."
	Tap tap tap.
	Knuckles tapped his finger on the coffee table.
	"I got it! A bird!" Knuckles yelled, jumping up. 
	"Yes! It's a bird!" Pierre said, exhausted.
	"This game is getting old Knuckles," Dolcia sighed.
	"Charades? I love guessing games!" 
	"You try standing up there for 5 minutes! I was losing 
circulation in my arms from flapping!" Pierre protested.
	"Well, I'm going for a walk. Anyone want to join me?" 
Nikki asked them, grabbing her coat.
	"I will. I have nothing else to do," Knuckles said.
	"We'll stay here and play cards or something," Miles 
exclaimed.
	As they walked out the door, Knuckles suddenly 
remembered the horrifying past.
	"Tails X, Destiny, and Robotnik are hopefully gone."
	"Robotnik was chained up when we left, remember 
Knuckles?"
	"Yes. I wonder if he is still there."
	"Let's check! Come on!"
	Nikki ran ahead of Knuckles.
	"Are you sure? You ain't getting any strange vibes or 
anything?"
	"Knuckles, come on!"
	They ran towards the castle, giggling and laughing.
	Knuckles saw that the door was closed. It opened easily, 
to their surprise. The hallways were covered with ashes, they 
figured it was from the bombing. Since the main room was on 
the top floor, they had to climb four flights of stairs. 
	"Knuckles, the door is open."
	"Stay quiet."
	Knuckles looked into the room and saw Robotnik 
chained in the corner.
	"He's still there. Why don't they bury him already?"
	"I don't know Nik. Come on in, it's not like Tails X is here."
	Nikki walked into the room and stood in front of 
Robotnik.
	"Knuckles, look." 
	Robotnik's arm had been shot off at the shoulder. 
	"Gross. Where's the arm?"
	They looked around for it but found nothing. Nikki 
noticed some spare metal parts in the trash can.
	"Knuckles, let's help him."
	"How?"
	"Make him an arm!"
	"What good is that going to do?"
	"Hey, listen. We make the arm, chain it up, and get out!"
	"Yeah, then he'll never get out."
	Nikki and Knuckles started to make the arm.

	"My sweet, we must return now."
	"But hunny, I haven't finished my manicure!"
	Tails X sighed as Destiny looked at herself in the mirror 
and fixed her hair.
	"Destiny, let's go!"
	"What's the hurry?"
	"Listen, we don't want them to think we left forever, do we?"
	"True true."
	Destiny took one more look in the mirror. She stood up, 
reveling the sequin dress she was wearing.
	"Well, aren't ya going to say something?" she said, 
modeling.
	"Wow."
	"You bet! This dress wasn't cheap!"
	"Destiny, you aren't returning to Knothole like that, are 
you? What are the people going to think?"
	"Two things Tails X. Number one I'm with you. The bad 
guy. Number two we're rich! Swimming in money! Let's show 
off our fame!"
	"If it wasn't for my rare blood type we would be living in 
my uncle's house."
	"Don't you just love blood?"
	Tails X ignored her and started packing.
	"Tailsie, why don't you get that mask copied in gold? 
That thing is starting to smell up the house."
	"This is my last memory of Sonic X."
	"You're making me look bad next to you. My blush 
doesn't go with your colors."
	"Stop it."
	"No really. Please do me a favor and get it in gold!"
	"Destiny, your getting me mad."
	"Don't get mad. I'll stop now," she said, feeling the 
bruise on her arm.
	"Now, pack."
	"Okay, let me just-"
	"NOW."
	She walked towards the dresser and threw her clothes 
madly onto the bed.

			Chapter 2

	"Do you think it looks like an arm?"
	"Well, yeah. I guess you could call it that, Nik."
	They placed the arm onto Robotnik. It was a perfect fit. 
Knuckles took the attached arm and found the broken chain. 
He then placed it on the wall, in its original spot.
	"There, are you happy?"
	"Well, my brain is saying yes, while my conscience is 
saying no."
	"Huh?"
	"We're helping our arch rival. The person who killed our 
friends."
	"Sonic X did that. Not Robotnik."
	"YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!" and voice screamed from 
behind them.
	Knuckles turned around. "Destiny! Um..."
	"What are you doing here?" Destiny said, looking at 
Knuckles.
	Knuckles looked at her clothes. "Whoa. Nice set of legs 
ya got there."
	"Oh shut up! At least I can afford to look like this! My 
dress was worth more, more than..."
	Knuckles and Nikki crossed their arms in front of their 
chests. 
	"ALL OF YOUR STINKING FRIENDS FUNERALS PUT 
TOGETHER! I KNOW HOW TO SPEND MONEY RIGHT!"
	Nikki gasped. "Listen Destiny. Your sister was killed too! 
You are part of us! What are you doing with him?"
	"HE'S NICE!"
	Knuckles rolled his eyes. "All you're after is his money."
	"ARE NOT!"
	"Are too."
	"ARE NOT!"
	"You know you are."
	"HOW COULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT? IF I WERE 
YOU TWO I WOULD WATCH WHAT I SAID!"
	"You scare me, Destiny!" Knuckles said sarcastically.
	"SHUT UP!" Destiny screamed.
	Tails X stood up in the window behind them. Knuckles 
and Nikki did not see him.
	"What are you going to do? Kill us?" Nikki laughed.
	Tails X pulled out a bow and arrow. The same bow and 
arrow Knuckles had used to hurt Sonette before. He aimed 
carefully at Knuckles.
	"I CAN CERTAINLY DO BETTER!" Destiny laughed.
	Tails X fired the bow. It hit Knuckles in the back.
	"Noooooo! Knuckles!" Nikki fell onto her knees next to 
Knuckles. 
	Destiny walked over and picked up Nikki by the neck. 
"Leave now and save yourself, if you can!!"
	"No! I will never leave! Not without Knuckles!"
	Tails X was getting ready to hit Nikki when he saw the 
hand. "DESTINY! BEHIND YOU!"
	A hand grabbed Destiny's shoulder. She turned around 
and saw Robotnik.
	
	"Guys, it's been four hours. Don't you think we should 
check on them?" Dolcia asked, putting away a deck of 
cards.
	"I think we should go look for them too," Rocky sighed, 
walked into the kitchen.
	They all agreed.
	"We have no idea where they are," Pierre said.
	"True, but we have to start somewhere," Dolcia 
answered.
	"Let's go!" Pierre yelled, running out of the door.
	They walked outside. A strong breeze was blowing. 
	"Me and Rocky will go to the graves," Dolcia told Pierre 
and Miles.
	"And we'll go to the church."
	"All right guys. We'll meet back here in two hours. 
Hopefully with Nikki and Knuckles," Rocky said, saying 
goodbye.
	"Bye guys!" Miles called to them.
	
	"Robotnik!" Destiny screamed.
	Tails X looked in. "DESTINY, HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE 
TO TELL YOU TO STOP BACKING INTO THINGS?"
	"Oh, he's not alive. Heh heh. I knew that," she said, 
startled.
	"Destiny, please let go of me!" Nikki cried, choking.
	"Why should I?"
	"Please, you're hurting me!"
	"Aww, did ya hear that Tails X? I'm hurting her!"
	Tails X looked up from loading a bow. "Ha ha ha! You 
haven't experienced pain like I have, Nikki!"
	"WELL, IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A DOWN-RIGHT UGLY 
LONER WITH A DECAYING MASK, YOU WOULD BE AS HEALTHY 
AS A HORSE!"
	"HEY, I DON'T WORK ALONE ANY MORE! DIDN'T YOU 
NOTICE WHO IS CHOKING YOU?"
	"YEAH, AND I CAN SEE WHERE SHE GETS HER SICK MIND 
FROM!"
	"OHHH, DON'T SCARE ME YOU TWIRP! AND ABOUT MY 
MASK..."
	Tails X tried to pull off his mask. I wouldn't budge. Destiny 
ran over to help him, dropping Nikki onto the floor. She 
crawled over to the door, but Destiny saw her trying to make 
her escape. She ran over and grabbed her leg.
	"OH NO YOU DON'T!" she said, pulling her back into the 
room. 

			Chapter 3

	Nikki was exhausted. She had tried everything. Her and 
Knuckles were doomed. 
	"What should I do with her, Tailsie?"
	"Leave her here. Just until her friends come."
	"Should I chain her up?"
	"No. If she gives you an attitude, show her who's boss."
	"Yes, Tailsie."
	Tails X grabbed his bow and started to lower himself 
from the window.
	"I'll be back up, Destiny. I just broke all my arrows. I have 
leftovers on the ground."
	"Are ya going to stand in the window again?"
	"Yes, if I duck they won't see me."
	"That's right! And when they all come you'll kill him all!"
	"Boy, you're smarter than I thought!"
	"Thank you, I must get it from my sister."
	Tails X lowered himself down. Destiny looked around and 
saw the chair that sat in front of the security televisions.
	"Those security cameras all around the castle never did 
work."
	She walked over and saw on the chair. She started 
playing with the buttons.
	Nikki crawled over to Knuckles to see if he was 
breathing. She leaned over and felt that he was barely 
breathing. 
	"I have to do something," she whispered.
	Destiny turned around in the chair. Nikki froze, like a deer 
in headlights.
	"What are you doing? Trying to escape?"
	"N-No. I was seeing if Knuckles was okay."
	Destiny stood up and leaned over Knuckles.
	"Oh he is breathing. Isn't that good?" 
	She smiled strangely at Nikki.
	"Why don't you let us go? What did we do to you?"
	"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
	"Then let us go!"
	"No. I'm not that nice."
	"You have no respect for Knuckles!"
	"RESPECT? DO YOU WANT TO SEE RESPECT?" 
	Destiny lifted Knuckle's head and made it kiss her foot. 
She threw him down and kicked his head. Nikki started to cry 
when Tails X appeared in the window.
	"My dear Destiny, what are you doing to our guests?"
	"Nothing Tailsie Boo. Absolutely nothing."
	She walked over and continued to play with the buttons.

	"Here they come," Miles told Pierre. "Did you guys find 
anything?"
	"No. But I have an idea where they might be," Dolcia 
said.
	"Where? Where?" Pierre asked.
	"The castle," Rocky said. "It's an obvious place."
	"COME ON! THEY MIGHT BE IN DANGER!" Dolcia  yelled 
as they ran towards the castle.
	
	"LET'S US GO!" Nikki screamed.
	Destiny looked up from her typing. "Shut up and sit 
down."
	"WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?"
	"Your stupid friends." 
	Destiny stood up and walked over to Nikki. She grabbed 
her arm. Nikki noticed the bruise on her arm.
	"Destiny, what happened to your arm?"
	Tails X reappeared hearing what Nikki had said. 
Tails X looked at Destiny. She saw him.
	"Well, I um...um..."
	"She bumped her arm on the corner of a table," Tails X 
finished the sentence for her.
	"Why didn't you know Destiny."
	"Well, I am just so embarrassed to talk about it!"
	She quickly changed the subject by pulling Nikki onto 
her feet. Nikki tried to trip her, but Destiny saw what she was 
trying to pull. She turned away from Knuckles and Robotnik 
and grabbed Nikki's throat.
	"I can hurt you if I want."
	"No..."
	"I can break your neck like a twig."
	"Please stop."
	"I was your friend."
	Nikki tried to break free of the hold.
	"I trusted you. Now I can't."
 	"Destiny, he is evil."
	Tails X looked up. "Watch what you say girl." 
	He continued to look out the window.
	"HE ISN'T EVIL! HE'S MY FRIEND! FRIEND!"
	"WHAT KIND OF FRIEND WOULD..." Nikki looked down at 
the bruise. `Don't say anything about it Nikki,' she told herself.
	"Well, Tailsie, what should I do?"
	Tails X didn't answer.
	"Tailsie?"
	"They're coming! The Freedom Fighters!"
	"What should I do? What should I do?"
	Tails X climbed down the building, preparing to fight the 
Freedom Fighters.
	"Tails X? Geez! He is so stubborn sometimes!"
	Nikki's eyes grew wide. Destiny thought it was because 
she was hurting her. But it wasn't.
	"What should I do? What should I do?"
	Destiny heard something behind her but didn't bother to 
turn around.
	"Tails? Tailsie Boo? What should I do with her?"
	She heard a voice in her ear. A familiar voice.
	"Hello Destiny. Sister of Binx."
	She didn't want to turn around.
	"Robotnik, how?"
	"Nevermind that."
	Nikki had a bit of hope. `We helped Robotnik! We made 
him an arm! Isn't that nice of us? He'll save us!' she shouted in 
her mind.
	"Why are you here?"
	"I have the answer to your question."
	She waited for the answer.
	"FINISH HER."

To Be Continued... 


Stay Tuned for: Knuckles III: A Visit From The Grave