Title: The Treasure Unseen
Authors: NexustehULF0o and CherrletheChicken
Description: It's simple. Whoever finds the most pieces gets to keep for them, "it" might not be what they assumed...Knouge. Collaboration NexustehULF0o and CherrleTheChicken.
Rating:T
DISCLAIMER: KNUCKLES, ROUGE, AND ALL OTHER CHARACTERS MENTIONED IN THIS FANFICTION ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF SEGA. NO OWNERSHIP.
Nexus: Me and Cherrle are collaborating! :D KNOUGE KNOUGE KNOUGE! :3 Enjoy lots!
Chapter One: What Felt Like Routine…
The end of the day was nearing, and with it came birds chirping idly as well as a soft autumn breeze dusting the ground. The normally blue sky began to burst into shades of magenta and tangerine as the sun fell lower and lower toward the horizon, before hiding beneath it all too soon. The birds silenced their chatter and cuddled close to their nests, the wind beginning to slightly rock the trees back and forth in a pattern similar to the slow tick of a metronome.
Knuckles the echidna couldn't really say what made him notice all these seemingly irrelevant things, but nonetheless, he loved that twilit time. Just before sundown, when the day is almost through – not that he would be doing anything really different tomorrow. He reclined against one of the strong pillars of the altar of the Master Emerald, placing his gloved hands behind his head before heaving a heavy sigh. Another day passed, another day ahead, he thought reflectively.
Knuckles couldn't really say that he would choose to live his life sitting on an altar all day and night, guarding something precious and ancient to his people. Dare he say it, he would rather live like Sonic – going wherever he wanted, seeing everything there was to see, meeting and knowing people along the way…growing as a person. He smirked and slid his eyes closed. He would love to try that one day.
Angel Island was a beautiful place, and he loved it, but he couldn't help but think that he was locked on the island by his destiny – figurative ball, chain, and all. Nothing ever happened there that had never happened before, and it was all beginning to bore him, because the truth was, Knuckles couldn't stand routine.
The stars were out now – a time that Knuckles liked significantly less than a few hours before it. Echidnas could not see well in the dark, which made the Master Emerald highly vulnerable to people who might try to steal it.
Oh, that's right.
As of late, a certain thieving white bat had been a large thorn in the echidna's side. She would sneak onto the island, unseen and unheard by anyone or anything, and slowly make her way to the altar, avoiding or defeating anything that might get in between her and the same Emerald Knuckles had sworn to keep safe. There, she would lie in wait until late at night, when she thought he would be sleeping, and try lift the Emerald away while he had his back turned…until…
"You!"
Knuckles lunged upward, digging the pointed ends of his fists into the stone ceiling of the altar of the Master Emerald.
"Gah!" Rouge cried, taken aback by Knuckles sudden attempt to attack her. She swayed back and forth, trying to maintain her balance with such a large item in her hands…she could feel it slipping from her fingertips…
Both Knuckles and Rouge watched in horror as the Master Emerald dropped to the ground, shattering into a million pieces with an unharmonious crash. The shards flew every which way, only a few slivers remaining on the hard floor below.
A slow moment passed as the both of them came to terms with what happened, both reminded of the moments during their first meeting…until they faded in the face of rage.
"What the hell're you doing on my island, bat-girl?" Knuckles turned and glared at the thief, who had regained her balance and was now floating in midair. Upon hearing the echidna, her head shot up angrily, teeth grit.
"Just taking what's mine." She spat, placing both hands on her hips. "Until you had to get in the way. How rude of you."
He scoffed, pulling his spikes out of the stone and falling to the floor below. He slowly bent over, collecting the remaining pieces of the Emerald and placing them in a pouch in his side.
"I think I remember you saying you were going to give up treasure hunting…" He reminisced, looking up at her lithe form hovering above him. " 'Too much work for too little pay'. Isn't that what you said?"
Rouge lowered herself to the ground, folding her arms across her chest as she slowly began to circle the red echidna like prey.
"Consider it a 'last hurrah' before I quit." She conned smoothly before frowning and stopping in place. She turned to look over the island, and then sighed. "But now that you had to break it, I suppose that I'll have to go and find all the pieces…"
"Oh no, you don't." Knuckles turned, irritated. "I'll be finding those shards. It's my duty as Guardian to keep the Emerald safe."
"Oh, I'll be sure to keep it safe," Rouge assured him. "I won't let anything happen to it when it's in my possession."
"Too bad it'll never get the chance to be in 'your possession.'" The echidna argued. "You're not taking it, Rouge. I'll get those pieces."
"Oh, you will, will you?" She asked slyly, smiling devilishly before drawing close to Knuckles. "We'll just see about that…I've got a proposition for you. A…challenge, if you will."
His interest was held. "Wh…What kind of challenge?" He looked over at her from the corner of his eye, only to find her absent.
"Simple. A treasure hunt. Obtain all the pieces of the Emerald and you keep it." Rouge explained, her voice suddenly closer to him.
Knuckles growled.
"Come on, Knuckles…" she crooned, leaning over in the direction of his ear. "…For old times' sake?"
It was a good thing that it was pitch dark or that stupid bat would have seen the dark red blush shoot right across his face.
"Er…" he muttered, looking down for a moment. "Uh…well –" he regained his bearings – " It's not like if I don't accept, then you won't look for them, so…" he told her sternly. Rouge simply laughed.
"So I'll take that as a yes, then." She managed between malicious sinckers, "Haha, if so, you might want to get an early start – bats can see perfectly at night, and I'm not tired a bit…"
"Hey, wait now, Rouge, can't we just settle this in the – " Knuckles turned around.
She was gone.
"…morning?" He called to no one.
So much for sleeping, then.
Knuckles sighed – he would never understand her, or her fascination with the Master Emerald. Oh well, at least he had a few pieces, he thought, reaching for the small pouch at his side. He had a head start whereas she had –
The pouch…he was sure he had it on his person…and he put the shards in it…and now…
He mentally fumed.
"Damn bat." He muttered.