Though the foliage was dense and the footing treacherous, Locke had no problems whatsoever in navigating through the jungle on the north-east side of Angel Island.
For him, the path was almost second-nature, having been a route often travelled upon, not just by Locke, but a certain other echidna whom the Guardian knew would be at the end of it.
Finally, after jumping over a pit of quicksand, he arrived at his destination.
Before him lay a circular clearing, and on the opposite side of it, the trees stood at quite a distance from one another, providing a stark contrast to the dense jungle behind him. As well, the ground fell completely away at the point opposite Locke; it was the north-eastern edge of the Island.
The space in between the two closest trees would have provided a complete view of the blue sky and occasional clouds that surrounded Angel Island, had there not been an ancient echidna seated there, cross-legged and meditating.
The younger echidna inched towards the elder quietly, not wanting to disturb him. But, before Locke could reach him, he spoke first.
"I take it you have finally realized the legitimacy of your 'dreams?'" he said in a strong voice that was unexpectedly assertive and clear for his age.
"No," the Guardian began nervously, but in an unwavering voice, he continued, "I came to ask for advice...Grandfather Athair."
Locke was not surprised that Athair knew of the dreams that the Ancient Walkers had seemingly sent him, as Athair himself had close ties to the three celestial beings.
Athair then stood up from his seated position, with the same swift agility as a much younger echidna-again, unexpectedly so at his age. In fact, the only thing that really belied his years was his once-brilliant-but-now-dulled maroon fur.
"What you witnessed is the future, Locke," he began, cutting straight to the point, though his gaze was not to his grandson, but to the currently dormant volcano in the middle of the Island.
Locke's heart sank and his stomach churned at the confirmation of his worst nightmare eventually coming true, yet Athair continued unflinchingly, "a future that may yet contain a shred of hope, if you prepare for it."
The younger echidna's heart rate sped up, both in trepidation and excitement at his grandfather's words. Careful not to throw caution and doubt to the wind, he presses Athair further, "And how am I to go about this task, grandfather?"
Finally glancing at the younger echidna, Athair replies, "I cannot tell you much, but I can tell you this: Reconcile the past with the present into the next generation."
At first, Locke was at a loss for words, as his mind processed what Athair had advised him to do. Suddenly, with wide eyes, Locke came to a realization.
"A-are you telling me to...to genetically alter my son?" Locke asked, incredulous. He could not even fathom that Athair, of all people, would even suggest bringing up a method that was not only extremely difficult, but also strictly forbidden.
"As it stands right now, not even you could provide enough training for your son to defend both himself and the world around us from the impending doom," Athair stated gravely, "and none of the world's greatest heroes so far would be a match for the evil that will eventually come."
"But at what cost to him?" Locke struggled to keep himself from yelling, but his voice steadily rose, "What price must he-and his family-pay to ensure the safety of the universe? Can't the Brotherhood do anything?"
"If we could do anything, the Ancient Walkers would have warned the rest of us, and not just you," Athair replied, a little coldly. Seeing his grandson' desperation however, the elder echidna's scowling face softened as he sighed and said, "I had asked the exact same questions when I discussed the matter with the Walkers," Athair placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder, "but, I realized that, to defend an entire universe, we must do what we have to, no matter how much we dislike the means and the methods to do so."
Athair then hardened his face once more as he sat back down again, beginning to meditate further, which was the cue for Locke that their meeting was at an end.
However, even without the non-verbal signal, the Guardian turned away, his face hardening as well, as he steeled himself for what he had to do.
"Though the Brotherhood cannot fight the future," the elder echidna began, which startled the unsuspecting Locke slightly, "you can create its savior."
Locke said nothing, but silently thanked his grandfather, who was now in a trance-like state, and, after giving him the *Guardian's Salute, turned away, back to the dense jungle where he once walked, uncertain and afraid. Walking through it now, the fear may not have diminished much, but his determination was doubled.
A/N: I own neither hide nor hair nor circuit nor shard of any of the Mobians/robotic mechs/objects of power mentioned in the above story. SEGA and or Archie Comics do.
*The Guardian's Salute is something completely non-canonical to anything, so I guess I own that. As for what it is, it's basically the act of flexing the knuckles of your right hand by wrapping your left hand around it, and bowing your head so that your lips touch the left index finger knuckle. As the name implies, it is used to respectfully greet, acknowledge, give thanks and say farewell to the current Guardian, as well as the members of the Brotherhood all up in Haven.
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