War for the Master Emerald

* The Echidna Tribe is killed, leaving Knuckles the Echidna as The Last of the Echidnas.
* The Owls are left extinct.
* Sonic the Hedgehog arrives to Earth.

## Major Events

### Battles:

* Theft of the Master Emerald
* Attack on Longclaw's House

## Casualties

* All of the Owls
* Knuckles' Father
* Echidna Tribe

> "Ages ago, a fearsome group of warriors, known as the echidnas, forged the seven Chaos Emeralds into the most unstoppable weapon ever created."
> "The Master Emerald."
> "With it, a single warrior could defeat entire armies. Believing no one should have such power, an order of heroes recovered the Emerald and swore to protect it from evil."
>
> Miles "Tails" Prower and Sonic the Hedgehog

The **War for the Master Emerald** was an ancient conflict between the Owls and the Echidna Tribe for the possession of the Master Emerald, considered as the Ultimate Power. Ages ago, the Echidnas created the Master Emerald by forging the seven Chaos Emeralds into it, the Master Emerald was able to turn thoughts into reality and had the power to defeat an entire army. At some point, it was stolen by the Owls and hidden on Earth.

For centuries, the Owls and the Echidnas fought each other for the Emerald, until until only an Owl, Longclaw, and several Echidnas remained. In 2010, the Echidna Tribe managed to find Longclaw, and attacked her and her protégé, Sonic the Hedgehog. However, Longclaw killed every member of the Tribe and died from her wounds, leaving a young Knuckles the Echidna as the last of the Echidnas. Before his death, Longclaw sent Sonic to Earth in order to put him to safety and so that, over the years, he would become the new Guardian of the Master Emerald.

## Background

> "Ages ago, a fearsome group of warriors, known as the echidnas, forged the seven Chaos Emeralds into the most unstoppable weapon ever created."
>
> Miles "Tails" Prower

Ages ago, the Echidna Tribe took possession of the seven Chaos Emeralds and forged them to create the Master Emerald, considered as the Ultimate Power. The Master Emerald was able to turn thoughts into reality and had the power to defeat an entire army. The Owls believed that no one should wield Emerald's power, and planned to attack the Echidnas.

## War

### The Beginning of the War

> "Believing no one should have such power, an order of heroes recovered the Emerald and swore to protect it from evil. Sounds like the owls and the echidnas have been fighting each other for centuries."
> "Like Vin Diesel and The Rock."
>
> Miles "Tails" Prower and Sonic the Hedgehog

The Owls attacked the Echidna Tribe and stole the Master Emerald from the leader, escaping from the place. The Owls decided to hide the Master Emerald in planet Earth, inside an underwater labyrinth temple, and created a compass to locate the Emerald, hiding it inside another temple in the mountains of Siberia. The actions of the Owls started a conflict with the Echidnas for the Master Emerald, a conflict that lasted for centuries and caused most of the Owls to be killed.

### Final Attack for the Emerald

> "Turns out, with great power comes great power-hungry bad guys. And I led them right to us."
>
> Sonic the Hedgehog

In 2010, there was only one remaining Owl: Longclaw. She lived with his apprentice Sonic the Hedgehog in Mobius. One day, the Echidna Tribe followed Sonic and ambushed him and Longclaw. She tried to escape and protect Sonic, but during his fled he was wounded by an arrow thrown by the Echidnas' Leader, Pachacamac. Longclaw decided to give Sonic a bag of rings and a map of safe worlds and then she sent him to Earth in order to protect him; when the portal closed, Longclaw fought against the Echidna Tribe and killed them all, dying a few moments later by her wounds and ending the war for good.

## Aftermath

### Knuckles' Quest

> "My tribe was on the verge of its greatest victory. The last of the owl warriors had been located. Soon Longclaw's Emerald secrets would be ours. But my father stopped me from joining the fight. He said my moment to honor our tribe would come, but it was not this moment. Those were the last words he spoke to me. I never saw him again."
> "We both lost everything that day."
>
> Knuckles the Echidna and Sonic the Hedgehog

Knuckles the Echidna was the only member of the Echidna Tribe who didn't go to the battle because his father didn't allow him. This caused him to survive and he became the Last of the Echidnas. Seeking to restore the honor of his tribe, Knuckles trained himself to confront Sonic the Hedgehog and interrogate him about the Master Emerald's location, which caused him to be known as the Most Dangerous Warrior in the Galaxy.

### Sonic's Stay on Earth

> "I was forced from my home! Your home is perfect, and you're leaving it! Why would you do that?!"
>
> Sonic the Hedgehog to Tom Wachowski

Sonic remained hidden on Earth for ten years, afraid to be found by anyone who wanted his power. He accidentally revealed his power and was chased by an Unites States Government operative, Dr. Robotnik, a madman who wanted his power to conquer the world. However, Sonic decided to stop hiding and defeated Robotnik, sending him to the Mushroom Planet.

### A Sacred Ground

> "They say that no one has visited here for years out of respect. This is where Sonic was raised, but it's so much more than that. This is the sacred ground... The place where **Longclaw** fell."
>
> Miles "Tails" Prower

For years, Green Hill Zone was never visited by anyone, as it was considered as a the sacred ground where Longclaw died.

### A New Guardian

> "Protecting the Emerald was my sacred duty, and now, I must pass that responsibility to you."
> "This... is my moment."
> "Follow the map, find the Emerald, and keep it safe. My dear Sonic, you have a heart like no creature I've ever known. I love you so much. Goodbye."
>
> Longclaw and Sonic the Hedgehog

Eight months after Robotnik's defeat, Sonic was attacked by Knuckles the Echidna, who searched the Master Emerald, but he was saved by Miles "Tails" Prower and discovered the story behind Longclaw's death. He found out, via hologram, that she was the Guardian of the Master Emerald and that the reason she sent him to Earth was to pass her duty to him. Sonic accepted this as his moment to become a real hero and decided to find the Emerald.

## Appearances

* *Sonic the Hedgehog 2* (flashback & mentioned)
	+ *Sonic the Hedgehog* (flashback)
* *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill* (mentioned)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 *Sonic the Hedgehog 2*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *Sonic the Hedgehog*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill*