"Where are we?" Rouge asked Shadow as they both made their way through a dark, forest full of eerie looking trees.
"The doctor wants us to search for Sonic and the others here." Shadow responded as he ran ahead, the cold wind blowing hard against his black and red quills.
"In HERE?!" She remarked as she reluctantly followed him deeper, and deeper into the dark. "This is the last place I'd assume anyone would want to be."
Shadow stopped at a clearing and started rummaging through a bush. Confused, Rouge swiftly landed on the ground and glared at the black and red hedgehog. "I thought we were looking for Sonic?!"
He came out, holding a red jewel. Rouge's eyes widened and she stared at the bright gem that stood out in its gloomy surroundings. "A Chaos Emerald?" She grabbed it and twirled it around in her hand. "What's it doing out here?"
Shadow snatched the emerald back and glared at the bat. "Eggman ordered us to give him anything we find."
Rouge groaned and placed her hands on her hips. "Do you always do what Eggman says?" Before he could hear her, Shadow sped off, heading towards Eggman's base. She started to follow him, but stopped, hearing a familiar groaning noise. The bat tuned her dainty ears to the sound and ran towards it. She stopped to a screeching halt as she saw Knuckles lying on the dark, cold floor, groaning in pain.
He appeared as if he was beaten up pretty badly, and the spikes on his knuckles were shattered. The very sight of him being so injured made her cringe. Rouge worriedly propped the echidna up on her shoulder and started to ascend up into the sky. She desperately scanned the area for any sign of water, and luckily found a small river. The bat gracefully landed by the river, steadily keeping Knuckles by her side. Carefully, she laid him down and tried to wake him up.
"Knuckles?" Rouge called out softly and held his hand. Seeing the once strong and practically invincible echidna look so helpless made a tear roll down her cheek.
"Rouge…?"
Knuckles wearily opened his eyes to see Rouge looking down at him. "What happened to you?" Rouge moved closer to him, startled by his sudden awakening.
"We were fighting some monster in this forest…." He looked around, afraid that there would still be more around. "All I can remember is going to fight him….we were losing, and all of us had gotten injured."
"Who were you fighting with?" Rouge perked her ears up.
Knuckles winced, now feeling the pain from the beating he had taken. "Sonic, Amy, Tails, and Cream. We were no match for that thing….and I had passed out before the fight was over. I have no idea how I ended up here….or even where everyone else is." He tried to stand up, but growled as the pain surged throughout his body. Rouge placed her hands around his chest, slowly bringing him back down to the ground. "It's ok…I'm here for you." She smiled as she looked at him with her sparkling turquoise eyes.
Knuckles gratefully leaned against a tree, and started to feel his sore hands. The sharp spikes that were once on his knuckles were now replaced with a rigid stub of white. He shook his head in disbelief and set his hands back down on the ground. Rouge sat down beside him and worriedly ran her hands through his dreadlocks. "I'm just glad you're alive…you look pretty banged up."
Knuckles blushed and nervously looked down at the ground. "I'll be fine…I just hope everyone else is alright. Next time I see another of those monsters, they're really going to get it for what they did to me!" He lightly punched his fists together, careful not to hurt himself again.
Rouge smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You never change, do you, Knuxie?" Knuckles felt his face grow hot, and he felt nervous. She had always made him feel like this, and it got worse as she moved closer to him. He had no clue if he should make a move, or if he even had the courage to.
All Knuckles felt he could do was sit there, frozen upon the very touch of Rouge the Bat.