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mama-qwerty · 7 months

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Alone Together

Okay, so I'm in a Knuckles-focused discord server and we toss ideas back and forth like ping-pong balls, sometimes resulting in me vomiting out a little scene from it.

So for this one, we got talking about an event where the Master Emerald pulls ALL the versions of Knux into one place, ala Spiderverse style. Dread, naturally, would be seen as that one weird cousin no one really likes but has to invite anyway, and it got me thinking about maybe how Boom would deal with him. Here's the result.

Check out the Knucklesverse guide for more deets.

Enjoy!

~~~~~

The tall echidna stood in the room, looking around himself nervously. It was a large space, with strange architecture bordering the perimeter. He wasn’t exactly clear how he got here, but was certain it had something to do with the giant green gem hovering above their heads.

The Master Emerald.

He didn’t know how he knew what it was, but nonetheless, there the information was. There . . . a lot of information was, all of a sudden. It was as if his mind were a pool of water, with dozens of puzzle pieces floating haphazardly within it, and now those pieces had snapped into place properly.

For the first time in his life, Knuckles could think clearly.

It was . . . strange. Suddenly having new information in your head. Just . . . knowing things. Not as strange as being in a room with what appeared to be a lot of different versions of, well, yourself, but strange anyway.

He fidgeted with the wrappings around his hands—hands that had individually wrapped fingers instead of large mitts like all the other echidna in the room. They were like him, but . . . different. Each echidna had the same red fur, the same white crescent moon on his chest, and the same kinked tail. But they were all smaller than him, and some wore clothing. They were all technically “Knuckles”, but his mind conjured different names as his eyes floated over them.

OVA. Archie. Sinbad. StC. Sir Gawain. Classic. Prime. Modern. IDW. Renegade. Wachowski. Gnarly. Forces.

His brows furrowed. Those names didn’t make any sense, but he supposed they had to have some way of telling each other apart. They couldn’t exactly just call each other “Knuckles”, now could they? That would get confusing.

He thought about himself, and the word ‘Boom’ came to mind.

Huh. That’s . . . that’s weird.

Giving his head a shake, Boom watched as the smaller hims chatted and interacted. He’d been invited to join a few conversations, but had nothing to add when the other echidna spoke of their ‘guardian duties’. He wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, so he had simply wandered off.

And now he felt alone in this crowd. This collection of other versions of himself.

Boom sighed, wondering when he could go home. Not that he was eager to lose this newfound clarity in his mind, but being here made him feel odd. Like he was supposed to be part of this group, but just . . . wasn’t, for some reason.

The tall echidna rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around himself again, taking in the carvings on the walls. He’d never seen any of this before, but it seemed strangely familiar to him. He turned to look at the wall behind him, and found another Knuckles sitting against it, his knees drawn up to his chin.

A name came to his mind.

Dread.

The echidna was dressed like a pirate, and snarled at any of the other Knuckles’ who happened to glance his way. He was doing a pretty decent job of keeping himself isolated, but didn’t really look all that happy about it.

Boom was nothing if not friendly. He approached the little pirate, a little smile on his lips.

“Hey there, little guy,” he said, crossing his arms as he looked down at the other him. “Feeling kinda left out?”

Dread scoffed, keeping his eyes averted. “As though ye cared. All the others feel some sort of weird bonding with each other. I don't. I be nothin' like them.”

Boom tilted his head slightly, glancing back at the group of echidna behind him. Gnarly and Renegade chatted, while Modern and Classic listened in, nodding. Yeah, he supposed they were very similar in a lot of ways, so of course they'd get along. They were all the same person, technically speaking. They were him, and he was them.

It was really, really weird when he thought about it too much.

The taller echidna turned back to Dread, shrugging. “I'm not like them, either.”

Dread rolled his eyes, but still wouldn’t face Boom. “That’s a load o’ barnacles. Ye're more like them than ye realize. Don't patronize me, ya scallywag.”

Boom shrugged again as he lowered himself to sit cross-legged before Dread. “Most of them have something called the Master Emerald. I don't have anything like that. And I don't talk like them. I don't look like them. I mean, I kinda do, but I'm pretty different. But that doesn't mean it's bad, I don’t think.”

“All they see when they see me is a smelly, rotten pirate,” Dread sneered, baring his fangs at the others. “I don't belong here. They know it, and I know it.”

“Well,” Boom said, his brow furrowing as he thought. “Maybe they don't think you belong here, because you don't think you belong here.”

Dread turned to face Boom fully, his muzzle pulled into a snarl. “Are ye tryin' t' get into me head?” he growled. “Don't turn this around on me. I know I've done wrong. I know I can't be trusted. They know it, too. Why do ye want me t’ think otherwise?”

Silence settled over them, and Boom twisted his mouth as he thought. Why did he? There were plenty of other Knuckles' to be friends with, ones who were much more inviting and accepting of his friendship. So why was he focused on Dread? What did he care if this version of himself was left out and lonely?

“Maybe,” the taller echidna said, speaking slowly as he chose his words carefully. "Maybe it's because you're different, like me. Maybe I don't feel like I belong with the others either, because they're so much more serious and smarter and know what they're meant to do with their life. Maybe I see you, and I see a Knuckles who maybe doesn't have that sure path. Someone who's just trying to figure it out, like me."

Dread seemed to contemplate what his larger counterpart said. The ever-present furrow in his brow smoothed, and he flicked his violet eyes up to meet Boom's identical ones.

“Ye feel it, too?” he asked, his voice softer than Boom had ever heard it. “That feeling. Like there be somethin' missin' in yer life. But ye can't put ye're finger on what. And it be like a gnat, buzzin' in ye're ear. Always there, but slightly outta phase.”

Boom tilted his head, thinking about how Dread had phrased it. Finally he nodded.

“Yeah. That's kinda what it's like. Like . . . I know I should be doing something important. Something that matters. But . . .” He shrugged. “I don't know what.”

Dread lowered his head, resting his chin on his knees.

“I've always wanted to be someone important,” he said, his gaze dropping to float across the floor in front of him. “Be seen. Be recognized as the fiercest pirate in all the seven seas. The idea of being unknown is almost painful to me. And I thought the Prism Shard would do that. Suppose it did. But . . .” He shook his head, his brow furrowing. “It did something to me. And I wasn't happy. I didn't feel like me. Or the me I was supposed to be.”

Boom nodded slightly, glancing over his shoulder at the other echidnas. The other Knuckles'. The other hims. But they weren't him. It was weird. He turned back to the pirate with a sigh.

“They seem to have it all figured out, don't they? Even Gnarly and Renegade. They don't have one of those Master Emerald things, but they feel the pull from it and just know who they're supposed to be. But me? I feel it, but I don't FEEL it. Like, I know it's there, and it helps me feel . . . I dunno, more in step with the world around me. But it just doesn't feel like . . . like it's me.”

Dread nodded, uttering his own sigh. “Aye, it be like a hand on the back of ye're neck, guiding. But it feels wrong somehow. Like it was never meant for me.” He flicked his eyes up to Boom. “Us.”

Boom leaned forward, his brow furrowed slightly. “Does . . . does that mean there's something wrong with us?”

Dread didn't answer right away. He looked over at the other Knuckles'. They were so much more accepting of this new connection. This new duty of guarding the Master Emerald, and helping to balance chaos energy. It was all so strange to him. He still didn't fully understand it, or wrap his head around it all. Life was so much easier when all he had to worry about was his next treasure hunt, and keeping himself alive.

“I dunno, lad,” he said finally. “They all seemed to have fallen into step without question or doubt. Maybe that be the way it should be. Or maybe having some healthy fear and doubt about something different than you've always known be wiser.”

Boom gave a little snort of laughter. “I've never been accused of being smart,” he said, shaking his head. “Always been kind of an airhead my whole life.” He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. “But . . . I feel like I can think better now. Like my mind isn't all jumbled and noisy like it was before.”

Dread nodded, a nearly identical expression on his face. “Aye, I know what ye mean. My mind also be . . . quieter. It always felt like I had so much noise in my head, like some sort of buzzing or itchy feeling. But now . . . it be gone.”

The two sat quietly for a while, thinking their thoughts and shooting little glances over at the rest of their new tribe. A tribe of one, split into many. It was strange--being in a crowd but seeing your own eyes staring back at you, hearing variations of your own voice. The personalities were different, but there was that similarity, deep down at their core.

“Thank ye,” Dread said, startling Boom from his thoughts. “For sittin' with me. They all mistrust me because of what I did on my world. And to be fair, I can't blame them. I was . . . pretty bad. I wasn't thinkin' straight.”

Boom smiled, giving him a shrug. “Hey, don't worry about it. When you have a noisy, itchy brain, you do things you probably wouldn't now. I'm usually ignored on my world, because, like I said, airhead.”

Dread smirked, his gold tooth glinting in the light. “I don't think ye're an airhead. Ye seem pretty wise, to me.”

Boom chuckled. “And you don't seem like some smelly ol' pirate to me. Just a guy who maybe needed a friend.”

The pirate chuckled back, and held his hand out. “Aye. We are well met, Boom.”

Boom reached out to complete the handshake. “Right back atcha, Dread.”

~~~

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#dread my beloved #boom my darling #boom knuckles #sonic boom #knuckles the dread #dread knuckles #sonic prime #sonic fanfiction #knuckles the echidna #knucklesverse #sonic the hedgehog fanfiction

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mama-qwerty · 5 months

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Callie's Arrival

My birthday means more writing!

This is from the Knucklesverse au that we came up with on the discord server. (Short version--the ME pulls all the different Knux's together to socialize them, and Maddie is brought in as the group mom.)

I just wanted to play with Cal and Dread. I think they're fun together.

~~~~~

"Don't freak out."

Callie lifted an eyebrow. Any conversation that started with that was, by definition, one that would likely elicit a freak out. Maddie looked a little frazzled as she led the redhead into the Wachowski’s backyard.

"About what? You said you needed my help with Knux?"

The vet turned and gave her a guilty look. "Yeeeaaah, not exactly with a Knux."

Callie furrowed her brow. "I don't follow."

Knuckles walked out of the house to join his mother. "Hello, Callie." He turned to Maddie. "Did you warn her?"

"I'm trying, but it's just so weird it's not gonna make any sense."

The redhead looked between echidna and woman. "Okay, what are you two talking about? 'Cause this is kinda feeling like you're luring me out into the woods to murder me or something."

Knuckles looked a combination of shocked and offended. "We would never!"

Maddie turned, lifting a calming hand. "Look, you know very well we live an . . . odd life."

Callie nodded. "I'll give you that."

"Yeah, well, it's about to get odder."

The librarian furrowed her brow, just as Knuckles walked forward. He waved his hand, and a . . . well, a portal of some sort opened. It didn't look like any ring portal she'd seen before. It looked a little more like an actual doorway.

"Okay, what's going on?" Callie said, taking a step back. There was odd, and then there was this. "You're both acting weird."

Maddie turned to her, a pleading look on her face. "Okay, I'm just gonna say it. Through that doorway is a place with . . . well, with other echidna. And they're all Knuckles."

Callie just stared. "What."

"I know it sounds weird, but they're all from different universes, and they all need some attention, and there are so many of them I could use some help. I think the Master Emerald would let you through because you're a mother, too. I need your help, Cal. Please."

The redhead stared some more. It was taking time for all this to sink in, and no matter how many times she tried to make sense of what Maddie was saying, it just wasn't clicking.

"What??"

"Perhaps it would simply be easier to show her," Knuckles said, before taking Callie's hand and pulling her through the portal.

"No, wait, Knux!" she said, trying in vain to remove her hand from his iron grip. He held her tight enough to keep her from pulling back, but not so tight as to hurt her. They stepped through the portal, and there was a feeling of falling and shifting and sliding and then they stepped out into . . . someplace else.

And a bunch of other echidna turned to look at her. All with violet eyes. And a very familiar face.

". . . . holy crap."

"Don't freak out!" Maddie said, walking through behind her. "They're all really great boys . . . kids . . . whatever. Some of them are older than our Knuckles, and one or two are younger. But they're all fundamentally him."

Callie was barely listening. She looked over the new place they found themselves in. It was a large room, and overhead hovered a giant green gemstone. There were about a dozen other echidna--Knuckles, she reminded herself, they were all Knuckles--and they slowly came toward the trio.

"Hi Miss Maddie!" a tall echidna called as he came forward. He was nearly as tall as she and Maddie, with wrappings around his arms, and his fingers were separated and not hidden beneath a pair of mitts like all the others. "Oh! Company!"

"Boom, this is Callie," Maddie said, gesturing to the redhead. "She's a good friend, and wanted to come and help me look after you all." She turned and gave Cal a look. "Right?"

The redhead blinked, catching the meaning and mentally slapped herself.

"Right. Right! I'm, uh, I'm Callie. Hi."

"Oh, another mom!" the tall echidna--Boom? was that seriously his name?--said right before he moved forward and pulled Callie into a bear hug. "Yay!"

Well. This echidna seemed . . . friendly. Callie lifted a hand to pat the boy on the back, just as the others formed a rough semi circle around them. The boy, Boom, released her, stepping back and planting his hands on his hips.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary!" he said, a big smile on his lips. "Feel free to look around and if you need anything, just--"

"What do ye mean, 'look after us'?" a voice called, and Callie picked out an echidna a little shorter than the one she knew, dressed as . . . a pirate?

The boy pushed his way forward, crossing his arms and pegging Cal with a scowl. "Maybe these other lads need 'looking after', but I be more than capable of handling meself."

"Dread, don't be rude." Boom gave the pirate a little shove. "She just got here, at least let her get used to the place before giving her the business."

Maddie turned to her and gave a dismissive hand wave. "Ignore him. He's really not so bad once you get to know him. Lemme introduce everyone."

Half an hour later, and Callie sat at the counter of the little kitchen of this Knuckles haven. The Sanctuary, they called it, apparently conjured by the Master Emerald, the giant rock hovering uncomfortably over their heads.

"It's not really there," Maddie had said of the gem. "From what Knux tells me, it's an omnipresent . . . thing that's everywhere and everywhen all at once." At Callie's blank stare, the vet had shrugged. "I don't get it either. Just go with it."

So Callie did. She prided herself on being able to roll with things pretty easily, but this? This?? It was taking a bit to really settle in her brain.

She focused on the cookie dough. The Knuckles all loved their snacks, and Maddie made sure to keep them well stocked. So Callie baked. Boom had appointed himself official liaison between her and the other echidna (most of whom still regarded her with suspicion) and he helped her, constantly chattering away about his world, his friends, and little tidbits about the other Knuckles here.

"You're pretty different, as far as Knuckles go," she said, offering him a spoon of cookie dough. He took it eagerly, nibbling on it as she spoke. "Is Boom your name in your world?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm Knuckles there. I don't know why I'm called Boom here. I just am. Guess it's just a good way to tell us apart."

Callie hummed as she started dropping scoops of dough onto a cooking sheet. She supposed that made sense, even if it really didn't.

A leather mitted hand came into view to snatch some of the cookie dough away, and she automatically slapped it without thinking.

"Ye she-devil," a voice said, and she recognized it as the pirate from before. Dread. "Hand over the dough, ye scarlet wench."

Callie moved without being aware of it, snagging the echidna's nose in between the knuckles of her index and middle fingers. She held him firmly, pulling him close.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" she said, her snark moving forward to deal with the problem. This felt more familiar--Dread gave off 'gremlin' vibes and that she could handle. She had a troublemaking gremlin at home, too. "Don't think I heard you correctly."

Dread squirmed in her grip, his face twisted at the pressure on his sensitive snout.

"Release me!" he hissed, trying to pull back. "Ye have no idea who ye're dealin' with!"

"Hmm, can't hear you, little pirate man. Maybe you can try one more time."

Dread uttered a growl, his teeth gritted as he pulled. He raised his hands, as though he wanted to bat hers away, but he resisted the urge and instead gripped the counter tightly.

"Argh, I'm sorry!" he cried, the growl in his throat louder. "I apologize! LET GO!"

Callie released him immediately, and he pulled back, rubbing his nose while shooting her daggers.

"Blasted she-devil," he muttered, but climbed onto a stool on the other side of the counter. "I can't decide if I like ye or hate ye for that little stunt."

"Well, let me know when you decide, 'kay?" she said, offering him a sweet smile. "I have that impression on most people I meet."

Dread continued to pout, but Callie scooped a spoon of cookie dough and handed it over. The pirate flicked his eyes between the peace offering and the woman's eyes, before snatching the spoon from her hand.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" she said, giving him a little smirk. "I'm Callie. And you are?"

Dread gave her a sour look as he licked the spoon clean. "Dread. Captain Knuckles the Dread. Scourge of the seven seas, and legendary pirate captain of the Angel's Voyage."

"A pirate captain," she said with the appropriate level of respect . . . and maybe a hint of snark. "Exciting. I bet you have stories to tell."

"Oh, lass, ye'd have nightmares from some of me greatest adventures. I've seen things ye couldn't imagine. Bested beasts that could squash ye flat with a single toe."

Callie and Boom exchanged a glance, and Boom shrugged.

"Wow. You're that good?"

Dread smiled, showing his gold tooth. "Nah, lass. I be better."

"Ah," she said, scooping another two spoonfuls of dough for both echidna. "My my, in the presence of greatness, am I? Should I swoon now or wait until later?"

Dread snickered, taking his new spoon. "Why limit yerself? A man such as meself inspires all sorts of excitement in the women folk."

She cocked an eyebrow. "Oh do you now."

"Aye. The ladies can't get enough of the ol' Dread. Follow me everywhere they do."

"Oh my, how do you stay so humble, Captain?"

"It be part of me charming personality, lass," he said, leaning to the side and perching himself on an elbow. "T'would take a special lady t' tame the mighty Dread."

"I'm sure it would."

Dread looked at Callie through narrowed eyes, a little smirk on his lips. "Be there a Mr. Callie in yer life, lass?"

Okay, what. She looked up at him, an eyebrow arched. "Okay, hang on. How old are you??"

He chuckled. "Old enough t' know a fine lass when I see one."

“Are you . . . are you seriously flirting with me?”

“Be I that subtle?”

She uttered a sharp laugh. “About as subtle as a baseball bat upside the head. Which I would admire under normal circumstances, but this is just weird.”

He leaned forward and gave her what she thinks he regards as a smolder. “Weird, aye? Ye sayin’ I conjure strange and new feelin’s in ye?”

“Okay, I’m gonna need you to stop, ‘cause you’re really starting to creep me out.”

The smolder intensified. “Don’t fight it, lass.”

"Seriously, I'm about to slug you."

His eyes went wide and he sat back with a look of surprise. "Ah, a fire in her belly! I like that in a lady!"

"Want me to make you eat that hat of yours? 'Cause I'm pretty sure I could do it."

Dread laughed, slapping a hand on the counter. "Ye've got spirit! Ye be a lady after me own heart."

"Don't ever say that again."

Boom moved closer, waving his hands between the two. "Hey! Okay, how about we get these cookies in the oven?"

Callie ignored him. "Are you always this insufferable or am I just the lucky one?"

Dread leaned on his elbow again, a look of unbearable confidence on his face. "Not many can take me strong personality."

"Really? I never would have guessed."

"The cookies?" Boom said, his hands pulled to his chest. "Hello?"

"Ye're a feisty one, ye are," Dread said, that smirk on his lips again. "I find ye interesting, I do."

"I'm honored. My life is complete now. I was just thinking to myself this morning, 'if only a short, smelly pirate echidna found me interesting, I'd be able to die happy.'"

Dread let loose a laugh, shaking his head. "Yer tongue be as sharp as yer wit, lass."

"High praise from such a legendary captain as yourself, I'm sure." Callie's lips pulled into a smirk and she leaned forward, coming nose-to-nose with the echidna. "Ya know, I've known you all of five minutes, and think you're self-absorbed, arrogant, and conceited. But damnit if I don't find you kind of fun. Nice to meet you, Dread."

She held her fist out, and Dread looked between it and her face.

"Pleasure t' make yer acquaintance, Callie, lass."

He reached up with his own fist, and gently bumped it against hers.

~~~

Like this? Check out my other snippets. Reblogs are appreciated!

#knucklesverse #callie macpherson #dread my beloved #knuckles the dread #boom knuckles #maddie wachowski #sonic the hedgehog fanfiction #sonic fanfiction #knuckles the echidna

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