A/N: After writing endless, humor stories, I have decided to write out another fiction, and this time, it's serious. Keep in mind that Rouge doesn't know who Knuckles is nor do Knuckles knows her. Not to mention that the characters are older. It's just a little story that had taken place right after Sonic Adventure. Though I'm trying to keep the fiction faithful to the old games as much as possible. Got to admit, I do prefer the old Sonic games than the newer ones. But that's just me. Enjoy!

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Thief Rivals

Prolouge

It was dark that day. Grey clouds covered the sky. And the day was drizzling. Tough winds blew from the north, causing the flight to her destination to become a non-easy task. Rouge struggled to stay up in the sky. But the weather was indeed unforgivable. Cold mists covered the whole area, blinding her vision to see the surrounding. As a bat, Rouge had used the 'echo' method to get around. With both her keen ears as well as her high-pitched voice, she was able to determine the exact location at where she was. If the bat was right, Station Square would be ten miles behind her and the Floating Island, the very place she was heading to, would be two kilometres away.

She could hear the waves that were formed beneath her. And the bat knew that she was in the middle of an ocean, with no land could be found anywhere nearby. Miles and miles around, only water was in sight.

It had been a one tiring trip for her, with no rest and no food to eat at all. But the bat was determined. She was determined to get to that island, and get the item that she had always longed for, the Master Emerald. Myths and legends about the particular gem had always fascinated the feline bat, claiming that it was by far the most powerful gem ever to date and that it could create wonders to those who possessed the jewel. It was hard to believe that such a stone can be that powerful. And almost no one believed that the legends were real. But to Rouge, she believed that gem was real and longed to witness the jewel itself.

For years, she had done some research regarding the powerful gem and its origin, dated back eight thousand years ago. It seemed that a creature, went by the name 'Chaos', was created by the Master Emerald to do its bidding. Its job was to protect the powerful stone as well as its seven children, the chaos emeralds. For years, the Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds were left untouched, that was, till the day when the first human civilization was established three thousands years later. Due to their greed and their desires to conquer the power, men were almost destroyed. This tragedy was a story to all and it became a lesson to the children as well as the later generations. One shouldn't always be selfish and be blinded by greed. History was repeated though. One echidna, Pachacamac, the one and only leader, who led his tribe to the road of doom. This echidna, who craved for power, ordered his men to set foot upon the altar and retrained the Master Emerald with its power that it had in it. Their whole world was completely wiped out. And the echidnas were cursed. One by one, the echidnas died due to some strange illness that they were suffering. It was beyond cure. And the echidnas were never again ceased to exist.

It was a one fascinating story. And the bat had trouble trying to believe it. That wasn't the end of the story though. Two thousands years later, Chaos, a creature that was sealed inside the Master Emerald after the tragic tale of the echidnas was released. Its anger was unleashed and it nearly flooded the whole city of her own home, Station Square. Fortunately, the fierce creature was stopped by none other than a famous blue hedgehog, who went by the name Sonic. Rouge had never met him before. But she had heard a lot of him. The world was saved countless times, thanks to the blue blur himself, from the sinister Dr. Ivo Robotnik, earning him the title as 'the world's fastest thing alive'. Yes, the blue hedgehog was indeed famous.

But the white bat didn't really care. All she wanted was to get that emerald, nothing more.

Since then, she had dedicated her life to track down that jewel and became a treasure hunter herself. For two years, the bat had, time and time, failed to hunt the Master Emerald down. But her determination didn't fade and it made her strong. The failures that she received from all those years only made her desire to get that green gem stronger than ever. Finally, after years of patience, hard work and stubbornness, she was given the words that the Master Emerald could only be found on an altar of a strange island that was called the Floating Island. It was no ordinary island, the bat was told. "The island floats." Due to the chaos energy released by the mighty stone itself. The exact location of the Floating Island was unknown though. The island would constantly move, making her search for the Master Emerald even harder. That bat wasn't about to give up though. Instead, she had taken it as a challenge, a challenge that everyone treasure hunters must face.

Lately, some rumours had been spreading. Some men had claimed that they saw a majestic island that floated, not far from the city, twelve miles away, up in the North site. No one believed them though. But Rouge did. It took her weeks before she was able to track the fishermen down. And she paid them, with a high price, to tell her more about the island that they saw. "That island was huge," one said. "And it floated," the other said. It didn't really matter though. What was more important was that the descriptions were indeed comparable with the Floating Island; huge, floated and the sense of some strange energy when they were near the island. The bat had asked them to aid her and help her to find the island itself. She promised to pay them with a high price. But the men were reluctant to do it. It was monsoon season and none of them dared to sail out in the unforgiving sea. The bat had thought that they were nothing but a bunch of cowards who didn't know the worthy of the green. And after asking them the exact location at where she might find the island, the bat took off, deciding that she was better off doing the job herself.

And so, here she was, tired, hungry and was getting pretty exasperated. The weather was indeed beyond the pale. And the rain was starting to get heavy by the minute. The weather turned cold and the winds got stronger.

Just when she thought that her hopes were about to crash, the bat was able to see a shadow, even if it was by merely, trough her emerald eyes, that was thrown right in front of her. That shadow was huge. So huge that it frightened her. Could it be? Could this be the Floating Island? The legendary island that she had heard so much about? Her heart almost yelped with joy and her excitement was beyond words.

"So, the myths about the Floating Island were indeed true," the bat told herself, happy with the fact that she had done her job well and knew the Master Emerald was near. She could sense the strange energy that surrounded the island. And that energy was strong. She gave a triumph smirk to herself. There was nothing better than to feel the power of the gemstone itself. Her craving to get that emerald somewhat grew.

Minutes passed before the island virtually came into a perfect view. The island contained a huge mountain located right at its centre, bigger than Mount Fuji itself but not comparable with the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. At the tip of the mountain, Rouge could see patches of white, which she guessed were white snows. Just by looking at them made her cold. The mists thickened. At the foot of the mountain, green jungles grew, all flourished with healthy plants and colourful flowers. The floras were things that she had never seen before, huge mushrooms, tall trees, and flowers that were so beautiful that they were beyond descriptions. She was in awe with the beauty of the nature and Rouge was at the loss for words. So captivated was she with the scenery, the bat had failed to notice a coming obstacle. She was followed...

A buzzbomber, an enemy robot that was invented by the notorious Dr. Robotnik himself, years ago when he first set foot on South Island. It was used to aid him in his world conquest. But the project had failed miserably. And it was sealed. Since then, the mad scientist had been trying to make better robots that were capable enough to go against his greatest nemesis, Sonic. However, the hedgehog just got better due to experiences and the aids that he often received from his allies. Such people were a two-tails fox, Miles Prower, nicknamed 'Tails', and a hyper pink hedgehog that went by the name, Amy Rose, cute and bubbly, a hedgehog who believed that she was fated to marry Sonic. Another rumour had it that the blue hedgehog was often aided not only by his friends but a rival. Some people had claimed that it was an echidna but echidnas died centuries ago. And it was impossible to see one alive.

With its keen eyes, the buzzbomber locked on at its target.

Target locked... Target: Rouge t. Bat.

And came charging towards the white bat.

She could hear a faint beeping sound from behind her. Curious, Rouge turned her back to take a look. And nearly gasped with shock. With a quick instinct, she quickly did a back-flip, causing the buzzbomber to miss its target. She eyed at the robot that was now right in front of her, breathing profusely due to her shocking state. What in the world was that? It couldn't be a buzzbomber, could it? But... Dr. Ivo Robotnik had gotten the project sealed years ago. She was sure of it. She wasn't able to finish her thoughts though.

The flying robot turned to eye at its 'prey'. Its two eyes glowed with an eerie red, sending chills down at the bat's spine. And fired a chain of missiles at her. With grace, the bat tried dodging all of the missiles but failed to dodge one. It exploded right in front of her face but thankfully, the bat was able to shield herself in time, receiving only scratches and minor cuts and not severe injuries. Her left wing was heavily scraped though and she struggled to stay in mid-air. But the 'predator' wasn't at all that done with her yet. The buzzbomber fired another chain of missiles.

This time though, the bat was ready. She flew upward till all of the missiles exploded itself, leaving behind a trail of black smokes. The sight beneath her was nothing but black. But when the smokes cleared, the buzzbomber was no where in sight.

The bat panicked as she looked around. Where was it?

Unfortunately, her question was answered when the buzzbomber, with a quick flash, appeared right in front of her. Her eyes widened with shock. How could it be that fast? Even Dr. Robotnik hadn't been able to create such a robot with its agility at its maximum level. No, this wasn't the work of the mad doctor himself. Someone else was controlling this robot. But, who? Who could it be?

The buzzbomber came charging at her and did a direct hit right at her gut. The bat screamed with agony. The pain was indeed unbearable. So bad was the pain, Rouge lost her consciousness and her ability to fly. She fell a hundred feet high at mid-air and was lost among the thick bushes of the green forests. The buzzbomber looked at the area at where its 'prey' had fallen. And then, it turned to face at the majestic mountain. With its finishing touch, the bee robot shot out a laser beam out from its robotic stinger and sent an impact at the mountain, causing a landslide to happen. It would be worse with this kind of weather... Rouge was buried alive. She wouldn't be able to survive such havoc. The buzzbomber could be sure of that.

With a good satisfaction, the bee robot flew back to its 'master' and to tell him the good news.

He was the guardian of the Master Emerald as well as the guardian of the Floating Island. Knuckles, the last descendant of his own race, the echidnas. The red echidna was rushing through a thick forest, at the other side of the island, fully unaware with the incident that had taken place only a few seconds ago at the east coast of his island. Knuckles struggled to get through the forest. Winds blew at his face with dreadlocks waving maniacally at the back of his head. Raindrops fell and soaked his red fur. And mists covered the whole area, giving him some great difficulties to see at where he was heading.

That day was indeed unpleasing. For hours, it had been raining, causing the rivers on the Floating Island to overflow. And it made the echidna worried. The overflows could endanger the habitats' lives and destroy floras and faunas that lived near the riverbanks. He would have to get down to the centre of the island to shut down the main switch. That will stop Hydrocity, an underground water city, from supplying anymore water to the surface. And hopefully stop the overflows.

His shoes became uncomfortable; wet, squishy and spongy, giving the echidna the feeling of itchiness right at his own two feet. Knuckles didn't really care though. He ran, with all his might, to get to the centre as soon as his legs could carry him. From head to toe, the echidna was covered with mud. And he simply got muddier with every steps he took. His two bulky fists constantly tore the plants down. Any plants that were blocking his way were under the guardian's fury; all were taken down, one by one, so that he could keep moving. Once, the guardian's right foot was tangled, with the green vines that somewhat grew on the wet, muddy ground, causing him to nearly trip. He glared intently at the soggy vines and did a quick spindash, cutting the plants and freeing his trapped leg. Unfortunately, the echidna had used too much force and had accidentally tripped.

Behind him, a little pink ball of light followed, glowing ever so brightly, one might easily mistook it for a firefly. It flew near the fallen echidna and asked, with a slight tone of concern and anxiety found in its own gentle voice, to know whether if he was hurt or not.

"You're alright, Knuckles?" The light faded when a word was said. And it came back on again once it finished its sentence.

The echidna took a short glance at his foot, and swished some of the broken vines off from his leg, disgusted with the current state he was in. But overall, he was fine. "Yeah," Knuckles said, without turning his back to look at the shining object, knowing fully well who he was talking to. "I'm okay."

He then turned to look at his company and smiled. "Thanks for your concern, Tikal." But the expression only lasted for a few seconds. After that, it was reverted back to one of his most common faces, a slight fume. The echidna looked away and glanced at the dark path that was ahead of him. "But if we don't get to that main switch, in time, and shut it down, the whole island is in jeopardy. Not even we are safe," the echidna stated out.

She could tell that he was worried. This was, after all, the guardian's home, and Tikal knew that. He would do anything to keep it safe, even if it meant risking his own life...

For years, Knuckles had been living on this majestic island, alone, guarding the Master Emerald as well as the Floating Island. It was a tough job… the responsibility as a guardian was indeed huge. At times, Tikal couldn't help but to admire the guardian's sheer determination to keep the island safe. It was a non-stop ride. There were people who had been trying to steal the emerald and use its power for their own benefits. Time and time again, he had somehow managed to overcome the situations. No trespassers could withstand the echidna and his two bulky fists, that is, all except one.

Just by hearing the name could send chills down Tikal's spine. Dr. Ivo Robotnik. She was told by Knuckles the stories concerning the Master Emerald.

Several years ago, the time when Knuckles first met the mad scientist... It was a memory not to be forgotten and had became a part of Knuckles' shame. Till now, the echidna still wouldn't forgive himself, for the mistake that he made, that almost endangered the world's life. To think he trusted the doctor, when all that time, Ivo had been scheming. Somehow, the doc had managed to trick Knuckles in thinking that Sonic was the true enemy. It was a matter of time before Knuckles truly realized behind the truth of Dr. Ivo Robotnik. He had thought that he was a goner. His responsibilities, to take casual care of the emerald, vanished. And Angel Island was fated to come to its doom. There was a small light of hope though. Sonic, a new-found friend, and Tails, a friend of the blue hedgehog, had offered their help to aid him. The echidna had reluctant to accept them. But... he didn't have a choice. He showed them the way, the way to get to the enemy's base. With their help, he was able to reclaim the Master Emerald and restore the mighty stone back to its original place, the Hidden Palace.

Since then, the echidna had a hard time trusting other people, especially when there were some concerns regarding the Master Emerald.

But, that wasn't the end though. Three years later, the Master Emerald was shattered, releasing Chaos. This story didn't need some retelling though as Tikal already knew. All this trouble... Just because of one man... If only she could do something to help Knuckles...

But, the sprit knew. She wasn't able to do anything. Not in this current state. She could hear and talk to people but Tikal lacked the sense of touch. She was like a ghostly figure; senseless and almost ceased to exist. If only...

Another gust of strong wind blew. The blustery weather was starting to get worse. And the echidna knew. This could mean danger. Knuckles turned to look back at the glowing, pink ball and shouted, snapping Tikal's mind back to reality. "Now come on. We have to hurry." And he left the place almost instantly, leaving behind a trail of mud and shoeprints as he ran. Without giving a second thought, Tikal followed.