"N...no way..." Rouge whispered, now understanding why Knuckles didn't want to just have some 'one night stand' with the one that her charge had chosen. Not only was Sonic the echidna's first and likely best friend, as well as still her friendly rival when he wasn't focused on Shadow, but Sonic just wasn't the type to go with Knuckles even if 'he' was a girl now...and with her current strength Amy was quite the threat if she did try to go after the blue hedgehog. "So...what do you do?" Rouge asked, knowing that despite how hard this would be for her Knuckles would never abandon the Master Emerald.

"I...I don't know..." Knuckles admitted sadly. She was sixteen years old, and if a new guardian was to take her place before she left her prime it had to be born within the next year or two...so she understood why the Master Emerald had changed her now. Nonetheless; Sonic was NOT a possibility, whether her charge thought so or not. "There has to be another way..." She insisted with little hope.

"But Knuckles...what if there ISN'T another way?" Rouge pointed out after several moments of silence, Knuckles would have to have a plan if the bat was right. Knuckles turned and stared at the all-powerful emerald.

"...I'll shatter it and hide every piece." Knuckles shrugged, clearly trying her very best to keep from listening to the Master Emerald's wish. Rouge's eyes narrowed at the echidna.

"Knuckles, you know you can't do that!" She scolded the guy-turned-girl. "There have been plenty of time that the Master Emerald has been needed to save people...are you really so selfish that you'd shatter it and possible destroy everyone?!" The bat demanded angrily. Knuckles looked down before sighing.

"No." She admitted with a sigh. "But I can't...its Sonic..." The echidna reminded her friend-rival softly, looking away from her.

"...If this is what you have to do as the guardian..." Rouge trailed off, knowing Knuckles would finish for her.

"...I don't have any choice but to listen..." Knuckles agreed with another sigh. She wouldn't use Sonic just to turn back to normal; he was her friend after all...but then, what was she supposed to do? There was no way that Sonic could gain feelings for her knowing that she'd change back to a guy after the new guardian was born, and she didn't have the heart not to tell him. The echidna gripped the sides of her head and screamed suddenly, startling the bat beside her greatly. Once Knuckles had run out of air she took a deep breath and breathed out again, feeling surprisingly better.

"What was that about?" Rouge asked, having backed away considerably when the echidna began to scream. Knuckles smirked a bit.

"It made me feel better." She admitted simply, shrugging a bit. Rouge blinked before smiling a bit, happy that the echidna felt better even if it did hurt the bat's ears. Knuckles stomach growled lightly, drawing the attention of the two girls.

"How about you go look for some food? You know better than me where food grows around here." Rouge suggested, Knuckles looking at her for several moments as if making sure this wasn't a trick. After that she smiled at the bat and nodded, going to find some fruit. Rouge looked at the Master Emerald, which soon turned into a glare. She had tried to get the emerald to spend more time around the echidna when Knuckles had begun to become secluded in his job again, she really just wanted to spend time with the echidna and perhaps start a relationship...apparently though, the Master Emerald had decided that the bat didn't have a 'pure enough heart' to be the mother of the next guardian. She sighed; though she wouldn't admit it she could understand why the emerald would think that...she wasn't very pure-hearted at all. She wondered if perhaps, after Knuckles had the new guardian, they could have a relationship.

"Rouge?" The sudden voice caused Rouge's head to snap to the side, seeing a slightly confused looking Sonic. The bat cursed her thoughts; she hadn't even heard the hedgehog's quick paced steps.

"What are you doing here Blue Boy?" Said bat asked. Sonic shrugged in a way that said he didn't care too much.

"Just felt like it." He stated simply. Though the hedgehog going wherever he felt like, with his mind changing about as fast as he ran, was completely normal Rouge had a feeling that the Master Emerald had something to do with the hedgehog's appearance. "What about you?" The blue male asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Knuckles called me to...hang out. He's getting us some fruit to eat." Rouge said after a moment, Sonic not looking convinced.

"Even the Knucklehead wouldn't leave his precious Master Emerald to be watched by YOU." He pointed out.

"Things have...changed. We're friends now Sonic, and I don't see any point in taking the huge thing anymore...I don't have anywhere to put it." Rouge tried to come up with a reason as to why Knuckles actually did leave her to watch the all-powerful emerald, even if it was for a short time. Sonic still didn't look too convinced, until the sound of a twig snapping drew the attention of both creatures to the nearby forest.

"I brought some grapes and peaches for..." Knuckles walked out of the forest with her eyes closed, as if seeing if she could still make it to the shrine without sight, but froze in her speech and step when she opened them and saw the blue hedgehog who was the cause for all her problems.

"What's up Knuckles?" Sonic asked with a large smirk, suddenly looking confused. "Any reason for the uh...change of attire, Knux?" He questioned the echidna, who blushed before huffing and turning her head away from him.

"Got off my island Sonic." She ordered in irritation, she didn't want to deal with the hedgehog at the moment. Whatever she was going to do about all this, she knew she had to get used to her new body first. Sonic smirked in a way that was very familiar to Rouge, he was about to pick on the echidna.

"Sonic, it's not-" Rouge attempted to explain to the hedgehog before he made Knuckles upset, but the runner cut her off.

"You're a little odd Knux but I never thought you'd wanna wear girl's clothes!" Sonic exclaimed, laughing in a similar way as Rouge earlier. Like with Rouge the echidna became momentarily enraged, dropping her scavenged food and throwing a punch at the hedgehog. Despite knowing it was coming Sonic was laughing too hard to dodge, the punch connecting with Sonic's face. The hedgehog expected to go flying and start a playful fight with the echidna, but despite his friendly rival punching with all his strength the runner didn't move an inch. Just like Rouge he became concerned for the guardian at the enraged yet weak punch. "Knuckles, are you al-"

"Get off..." Knuckles was in the same position as when Rouge had begun to worry after being punched, her voice trembling slightly.

"Listen Knuckles, I didn't mean to-" Again Sonic was cut off, Knuckles' head snapping up and glaring at the hedgehog with tear-filled eyes.

"Get off. Get off! Get OFF! GET OFF!" Each time the two words were said they were louder and more desperate, just wanting the hedgehog gone. Despite being concerned with his friend the speedster decided it was probably best to just do as the echidna wanted, spinning on his heel and dashing off.

"Knuckles..." Rouge murmured, knowing how much strength meant to the guardian considering her job. The echidna's entire body was trembling as she tried to keep herself from sobbing, Rouge walking over to her and hugging her in comfort. "Just let it all out...it'll make you feel better..." She assured the other girl. After a moment Knuckles' arms wrapped around Rouge's waist and she sobbed loudly; for everything that had happened, all that she lost, and her entire way of life suddenly crashing around her.


Sonic likes to pick on Knuckles, he never thought he'd made the echidna actually upset. Hope you like it, read and review too!