Chaos sat on top of the emerald, waiting for Tikal to come like he always did. He couldn't let anyone else see him, for fear that they wouldn't take it so lightly if they saw what he was. He looked left and right, the crickets singing as the sun went down. Right on cue here came Tikal with her little chao friends. Chaos put the emotion of happieness out for everyone to feel, < Tikal! I was worried you wouldn't come!> Tikal shook her head, " I made a promise, I keep them too." Chaos nodded and cocked his head while part way closing his eyes in a smiling gesture. Since he really didn't have a mouth, smiling was impossible. Tikal hopped up on the emerald next to him, " It's so beautiful." Chaos nodded, < Like your eyes.> His eyes immediately went wide and he shook his hands and backed up a bit, < Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry I didn't mean for that to slip out!!! I'm fairly sure you already have a boyfriend to begin with, anyway, I'm really really sorry!> Tikal shrugged and giggled, " Don't be, you'd be my first choice...if my father would've approved." Chaos' shoulders sagged in a sighing motion, < He's always so picky, huh?> Tikal nodded, " He just wants what's best for me and the tribe." Chaos nodded, < I see...I guess then that means, he would probably just scoff at-> Tikal kissed Chaos' cheek, " My father wanted me home by nightfall, I'll see ya tomorrow!" She waved goodbye and raced off. The chao and Chaos waved too. One chao, Chaos' personal favorite the little green one, climbed up on his lap and sat down. Chaos watched the stars while petting the little guy. A star raced by. " Chao chao!" the little green chao cried. Chaos looked down and it was smiling up at him. < You want me to make a wish?> Chaos asked it. The chao nodded and hugged his arm. Chaos looked back up into the sky, < I just want one day to not be me for a change.> The chaoes looked up at him with big sad eyes. < It's because I'm like this, I'm not accepted anywhere. If wishes do come true, I want to be an echidna for a day.> The chaoes nodded as Chaos bid them farewell and faded into the emerald.
Meanwhile....
  Tikal saw the same comet. " I wish Chaos could come here without everyone hating him," she sighed, " I just hope grandmother's right." " Of course I'm right!" an older butterscotch colored echidna maiden made her way to Tikal. She was kinda like the fairygodmothers from story books. Nice, sweet, kind, and cute. She grasped Tikal's shoulders. " Wishes can always come true, little one," Tikal's grandmother lifted her chin, " You just have to be patient." She handed Tikal a nightgown then pointed to the bed, " Time to let that wish develop." Tikal nodded, " Yes, grandmother." Tikal slipped out of her clothes and put her night gown on. " Goodnight, Tiki," Tikal's grandmother said. Tikal yawned, " Goodnight." She blew out the candle and fell asleep.
The next day...
  Chaos woke up outside the emerald. " Huh?" he gasped, " I have a mouth?!" He glanced down at his hands, " Whoa, this is new." Five fingers, and two long blue spikes on the knuckles. He stood and the chaoes cooed around him. " Hey little guys," Chaos smiled. He turned as he heard Tikal race up the stairs. " Chaos?" she asked noticing the bands in the echidna's hair wasn't white, but a watery blue. " Tikal!" Chaos grasped her hands, " Isn't this great? I'm an echidna!" Tikal giggled, " You're so happy." " Well, I can talk normally and probably eat stuff without having to absorb it akwardly!" Chaos cried happily, " Besides that, I can come with you to the village." Chaos was a deep maroon color, a bit darker than Tikal's father. " Come, you can meet my father now," Tikal grasped his hand and raced down the steps, with Chaos right behind.
Meanwhile...
  Tikal's father was talking to her grandmother. " Kilika, we can't keep this so secretive, we have to take the emeralds," he replied. Kilika scoffed, " No, you want to, it's not right! You'll upset the balance!" " Father! Grandmother!" Tikal cried dragging a nervous Chaos, " Meet..." " Flame," Chaos said calmly. " Flame?" Kilika asked, " Are you from a different tribe?" Chaos nodded, " My tribe was attacked earlier and had it not been for your granddaughter, I wouldn't be here." Chaos winked at her with lime green eyes. Tikal giggled as "Flame" shook hands with her father. " So is that Chaos?" Kilika whispered. Tikal nodded, " Isn't he sweet?" " He doesn't look like the water being you told me about," Kilika said. " My wish worked," Tikal said. Kilika laughed and gripped her shoulders, " I told you it would!" Chaos was gripped firmly by Tikal's father and was being dragged away to be shone the city. " Father! I'll show him around!" Tikal cried. Her father backed off and Chaos sighed gratefully, " Thanks." " No problem," Tikal said. That evening a great festival was held for Tikal's meeting with "Flame". Chaos was given warrior paint complete with ironic painted on angel wings. Tikal was adorned in jewelry and her clothing was nicer than usual. She smiled as her father joined their hands. They danced for a little while until Chaos realized the sun was setting. " Tikal, we have to go," Chaos said urgently. Tikal gasped and raced to her father, " Flame and I have to go!" Chaos hid his hand as it became watery. Tikal's father wouldn't have it. " You're staying here, Tikal," the shaman said, " You and your date." Chaos' arm was turning blue along with his tail. The other echidnas started staring at him. Tikal raced to him as Chaos became the watery being he was. Everyone gasped and Tikal's father made his way to Tikal, " This was a trick?" " No, Father I can-" " TELL ME THE TRUTH!" he screamed in Tikal's face. Tikal glanced down at the ground then up at him, " Father..." He shook his head disapprovingly and slapped her, " You liar!" He was about to strike her again, but Chaos caught his arm and glared, < Leave her alone.> " Chaos..." Tikal said quietly. Tikal's father jerked his hand away and Chaos glared harder as he helped Tikal up. " This creature has brainwashed Tikal!" her father shouted, " He is nothing more than a demon, sent to trick us all." Chaos clenched his fists, his eyes were full of hate and Tikal felt the power radiating from her friend. " Chaos," Tikal put a hand on his shoulder. His eyes softened and he glanced over at her, " Please, calm down." He shrugged her off and turned to walk away. " Look, now he just turns to walk away because he has realized he cannot drag us to the underworld," Tikal's father said. Chaos kept his composure and his body gained heat. Tikal glared at her father as tears ran down her face. Kilika shook her head disappointed at the echidna shaman's actions. Chaos walked up the steps to the temple and sat on the top one. " I'm sorry Chaos..." Tikal said, " My father did that to you and it wasn't right. I'm so sorry." She sobbed. Chaos held her close, < No it's not your fault, it's mine.> Tikal looked up into his green eyes, " No..." Chaos stood and let her sit. He looked out at the start and the jungle, < I should've known my place was here, not with you.> " Chaos! That isn't true!" Tikal cried. Her heart ached with Chaos' pain and her own. She wanted to change his mind, but knew she couldn't. " Chaos..." she whispered. " Goodbye Tikal, and please...just, let me be from now on..." Chaos said fading into the emerald. Tikal fell to her knees and the chaoes surrounded her. Chaos' little green chao cooed to her. " Chao chao," the chao said solemnly. " Oh little friend, he'll be okay...I hope," Tikal held the little chao and they cried. Together, for their friend, for his hate of the tribe now, for his sorrow, his pain. Chaos watched from inside the emerald. He glanced at what he was and buried his face in his hands, < Chaos, who were you fooling, you had no chance in the first place. You know you couldn't be with her.> He felt his body weaken, < Now you're going all water! What is wrong with you?! You were sent to protect the emeralds, but given a curse as well.> Chaos slammed his fist on the wall of the emerald, < I'll never go out of this emerald again.> So for weeks, Tikal kept coming, never seeing Chaos except in little whisps inside the emerald. The only time she ever saw him was when he destroyed her tribe and father. The day before her grandmother died. Chaos was bitter now, didn't want Tikal to suffer because of him, and yet, that's just what he had caused her. Suffering. And the rest...is in the videogames....is history.