Amy Rose was in a good mood. She was taking a shower under a waterfall, scrubbing her hedge hair with a brush whose bristles were glistening
with shampoo. She was listening to "Jump up Super Star" a famous song known to many Mobians after a Mushroom Band performed
in Downtown Station Square a couple months ago. Just when she had finished getting clean, put her towel on, she sat down
on the ground, dipping her feet into the nearbye waters of the Mobius Lake, splishing and splashing her feet. Knuckles walked by.
"Hey, Amy, I realize you're busy, but have you seen Rouge the Bat lately?" asked Knuckles.
"Do you mind? Uh, no I haven't seen Rouge. Why do you ask?!" asked Amy.
"Oh, um, I don't really care or anything, she just keeps visiting this big plant, and I figured you'd know
cuz you hang with her more than anyone" said Knuckles.
"A plant? Nuclear? Solar?" asked Amy. Knuckles laughed.
"No, like, a plant plant. A flower type thing. It's where the X is on this map she left behind! I know this map belongs
to Rouge, it has her rouge on it" replied Knuckles, showing Amy the map.
"Ohh, yeah, a flower, like my last name! I'll go see what she's up to" said Amy. She grabbed the map and headed off.

At the Plant Grove:

Amy entered a misty forest area. There, in the middle of a clearing was a giant plant that looked like it came from a
Mario game. She didn't see Rouge. She walked up to the plant and tapped it with her fist. The plant took a big breath, causing
gusts of wind to fly towards Amy. Out popped Rouge flying towards a big rock. The force of the wind sent Amy flying towards
said rock, and they both made a big plop! Rouge got up, brushed off her pants and boots, and looked at Amy with frustration.
"I was in the middle of a nap. Can't a girl get some beauty sleep? Not that I need any!" said Rouge.
"Well, I don't mean to be rude, Knuckles sent me here" replied Amy.
"Knucky Poo sent you here huh?" said Rouge.
"Yes!" said Amy.
"I don't think he'd do something like that" replied Rouge, her back turned to Amy and her arms folded.
"He wanted to know where you were. He was worried about you" said Amy.
"Uh-huh. Well, anyway, I need to get back to napping. Tell Knucky Poo I'm more than fine, and that I love my Nepenthes"
replied Rouge.
"So that's a Nepenthes plant? You've been spending ALL your time lately in that plant!" exclaimed Amy.
"So? I'm a bat, hun. This is what bats like me like to do sometimes!" said Rouge, gently massaging her plant with her
essential oil covered hands.

"You're keeping stolen chaos emeralds in that plant, I know it!" said Amy, scrunching up her nose in anger.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not!" replied Rouge.
"Ugh, well I'll go tell Knuckles you're in love with someone else I guess" said Amy storming off.
"Someone else? Who told you I was-oh brother. She's gone already. Time for sleep! Tuck me in and read me a story,
would you?" said Rouge, fluttering with her wings into the mouth of the plant for a nap. She had a blanket and pillow nestled
inside, along with a lamp and a storybook. Yes, apparently the plant DID read to her sometimes.

Later, Amy met up with Knuckles again:

"Okay, so apparently Rouge is in love with that plant" said Amy.
"Wha-what? WHAT?" yelled Knuckles.
"Yeah, she goes and sees it every day" replied Amy.
"I've gotta go see this myself" said Knuckles.
"I'll be at my place, not watching from behind the bushes or anything" said Amy in a mischevious tone.

Back at the Plant Grove:

"Rouge, are, are you okay? I mean, I know we're rivals and everything but I just wanna know if you're okay, so
we can continue being rivals sometimes" said Knuckles, knocking on the plant. The plant puked out Rouge again, sending
gusts of wind that also sent Knuckles flying toward a rock.
"Oh, my. This is the second time today that this has happened. I must really be wanted" said Rouge, puffing up her hair with
her left hand.
"No, that isn't it. I'm worried, Rouge" said Knuckles.
"Darling there's no reason to be worried. Nepenthes loves me as much as I love him" said Rouge, using a warm wet cloth
to wipe off the green goo from the outside of the plant. The plant turned red and blushed.
"It's a he? Oh, I..I can see that. That's great, I guess" said Knuckles sadly walking away. Rouge flew up to Knuckles, and picked
him up.
"Woah, woah, what is going on here?" asked Knuckles.
"Turns out, you can be a big help. Amy and I are gonna go shopping for chaos emeralds" said Rouge.
"And..you want ME to watch over the plant?" asked Knuckles.
"Yes!" said Rouge, depositing Knuckles into an area she hoped would only be near the plant. But the plant ate Knuckles!
A mosquito flew by the plant, causing Rouge to go into a feeding frenzy, and she too was swallowed up by the plant after
she ate the bug.

Meanwhile, Amy was giggling watching from behind the bushes, filming the entire event.

"This is cozy, isn't it?" said Rouge.
"We need to get out of here. I can get us out I swear. I'll push the plant open and get us out.
I have four times the horsepower of any known animal" said Knuckles.
"Oh, really? Why don't you prove it, Knucky?" replied Rouge in a provacative tone. Knuckles attempted to lift
the plant mouth open and nearly accomplished it halfway, until it shut abruptly. Rouge caught Knuckles and hugged him.
"This is...this is...this is great" said Knuckles.

Amy's moral compass got the better of her and she grabbed her hammer, swinging it to and fro attempting to get the plant
to open its mouth. Finally, the plant was sent flying out of the ground, and, well...it died. Amy opened its mouth, freeing
Rouge and Knuckles.
"Will you two cuddling lovebirds wake up? I just freed you!" said Amy.
"A-AMY! What are you doing herE?" shouted Rouge. Amy blushed. Rouge and Knuckles quickly got up on their feet,
brushing off dirt and bugs, whistling to themselves, attempting to appear as innocent as possible.
"Pardon me for killing your Venus love trap!" said Amy.
"Nepenthes, what happened to you?" said Rouge, tending to the plant. Suddenly, they heard a voice. The plant
began speaking.
"My physical body dies, yet my soul lives on, my soul is eternal, just like all life in the universe. Take this seed and plant it. And know this...I don't just love bats, I love balls" said the plant in its last dying breath.
"He's a pitchers plant. Typical!" said Amy.

Weeks later...

"Batter up!" said Knuckles, wielding a baseball bat. The plant sent a baseball flying towards Knuckles, Knuckles
hit it with the bat, sending it up into the air, where Rouge caught it.
"This week turned out better than I thought it would!" said Rouge, winking at Knuckles.

"I hope I can marry that woman someday!" thought Knuckles, wiping a tear away, as he looked up at Rouge above.

Note: A certain kind of bat known as the Wooly Bat really does sleep inside of plants. The plant is known as Nepenthes. You just learned something.

Or maybe not.

The End