♡ 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐒 𝐱 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒 ♡

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 → 𝐊𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒

Knuckles gave another huff, his head almost stood on itself so he could see his own reflection in the enormous gemstone. His purple gaze met the green shade of the sacred rock, his face instantly visible since he always kept each individual facet as clean as the glass of an untouched mirror.

Normally, he would see himself with a cocky smirk radiating in self-assurance. But today, the refreshing sunbeams illuminated a worried frown and a glaze over his eyes blooming from a seed of anticipation planted in the violet abyss. Seeing himself in this state didn't seem to help, the echidna growling at himself before flinging his head back up so as not to look at his ridiculous reflection any longer.

He rested his chin to his arms above his knees, his feet embedded in sturdy sneakers of saffron and sweetened olive leant to the next step. He felt his chest give another huff he was sure not to be of his own accord, but just thought it better to let the frustration out before whoever had been assigned to assist him arrived.

Growing impatient, Knuckles turned back to the emerald, and with a large yet pristine mitten, he wiped away a few flecks of dust shaded in the same creamy beige as the shrine itself, like the wind harshly crumbled the stone. He wanted the gem to look its best, keeping up the cleansing while ignoring any reflections of himself to keep his confidence relatively high.

He had been educated this new recruit to be named (Y/n), and word had it they'd passed the tests to ensure they had enough skill to bestow them with such a protective job with flying colours. Knuckles liked the sound of their ability and advanced combat potentiality, and had to hand it to them that passing such an examination to guard something so special and prized by so many villains couldn't be easy.

He was told they would be arriving to begin today, this very morning. He couldn't refrain the thought of himself seeming a little anxious from entering his mind, but a mallet of cool-headedness slammed the haunting feeling to the ground. He shook it off, giving one more brush to the vibrant viridian face of the gemstone until something snatched his attention.

A nervous cough passed the earholes buried somewhere in Knuckles' crimson quills spiked down his shoulders like dreadlocks. He jumped a little, swivelling around on his heels where his knees were still raised to his chest. The shaping of his eyebrows bent down in confusion sparked up in surprise, although he'd expected this since dawn broke, and he felt a welcoming smile absentmindedly control his face.

(Y/n) stood before Knuckles, the echidna swiftly dusting himself clean from the remnants gathered to the ground from what interrupted the immaculate shine of the Master Emerald as they anxiously held their thumbs together by their chest.

They kept their (e/c) eyes averted from Knuckles' amethysts that sent an arrow through their heart and triggered it to overpound, switching regularly between glaring at their fingers and playing with their (h/c) (hair/quills/feathers/fur).

Knuckles stumbled over their introduction to one another by (Y/n)'s silence, remembering the cough that signalled him to their arrival wasn't even weighted down by any trace of a voice. He didn't spend too long judging it or deciding whether to ask, taking a clearance of his throat himself before pleasing (Y/n)'s ears with his deepened voice.

"I assume you're (Y/n)?" He questioned politely, wanting to ensure he was addressing the right person with the valuable information that jittered in preparation to be vocalised at the tip of his tongue.

(Y/n) nodded vigorously, their nervous frown being overthrown by a beaming smile. Knuckles chuckled back, entertained and intrigued by the electrifying excitement alive in each one of their breaths.

"Very well. I am Knuckles, the current guardian of the Master Emerald. You will be assisting me in protecting it from all forces of evil willing to steal its power and use it against us." Knuckles explained, hands to his hips to the spikes to his own knuckles wrapped around his waist while (Y/n) nodded again, still not saying a word.