Knuckles had always been a solitary warrior. His entire life before meeting Sonic and Tails was defined by his duty to protect the Master Emerald, isolated and driven by a singular purpose. But now, things were... different. After helping Sonic defeat Robotnik and reclaiming the Emerald, Knuckles had been invited—insisted upon, really—by Tom and Maddie to stay with their family.

At first, the offer had bewildered him. The idea of living in a "house" with a "family" was as alien to him as chili dogs had been when Sonic first introduced him to Earth food. Yet, despite his initial confusion, Knuckles quickly learned that his new environment had its own charm. The Wachowski home was warm, filled with laughter and kindness. Maddie always ensured he had plenty to eat (though Knuckles still didn’t understand why she insisted on cutting his pancakes into smaller pieces), and Tom was patient in explaining Earth customs—even when Knuckles crushed the remote control in frustration for the third time.

Sonic and Tails treated him like a brother, even if Sonic’s constant teasing occasionally tested his patience. Still, there were moments when Knuckles found himself restless. This world, though peaceful, was so unlike the one he had known. The air carried no scent of ancient stone or distant danger; the fights he once anticipated with every sunrise were replaced with morning pancakes and Saturday cartoons. It wasn’t bad—just... different.

On this particular afternoon, Knuckles found himself alone in the backyard. Sonic and Tails had run off to explore a nearby forest, and Tom and Maddie were busy in the kitchen. Knuckles paced the yard, his hands brushing against the wooden fence. The grass beneath his feet felt strange—soft and yielding compared to the rugged terrain of Angel Island. He had nothing to fight, no mission to complete. What was a warrior supposed to do in a place so calm?

It was then that a sound caught his attention: a soft laugh coming from beyond the fence. He paused, his ears twitching, and peered over..