I missed the moon
Shade was lying atop the stairs of the altar when Knuckles got there. "That bat girl asked if she could borrow the emerald so it will be back in a few weeks" she said enticing a small cringe from him. "ha ha, the island would be falling already if the emerald had been moved." "Does that really happen every time?" Shade asked thinking back to when Ix had stolen the emerald and the island had in fact fallen afterwords. "Yeah, without the emerald's power this island just becomes another piece of rock" He answered as he reached the top of the steps. Shade did a backwards somersault and got to her feet. Her dress however got caught under her foot causing her to lose her balance and begin to fall. Knuckles quickly grabbed her in a swift motion before setting her back on her feet. "Sorry, I guess..." Shade spoke as Knuckles face loomed closer. "That I'm just" Knuckles was even closer now as she said this. "not used to..." Shade's voice faded away as the two embraced passionately, their lips conveying a warmth more comforting then most would imagine. "You didn't get a chance to wear a dress on Nocturne did you?" Asked Knuckles when the two broke for air. Shade nodded in reply with a smile on her face. She rested her head against the crescent moon on his chest.
The two echidna stood guard by the emerald for many hours of the day. Shade was finding pleasure in the simple things and slow ways of non-military life while Knuckles was enjoying the company of another. When Knuckles was about to take his normal nap atop the altar however, he was stumped as to what to do. Shade seemed wide awake and more than interested enough to stay that way for quiet some time. He however was so used to this routine that he was having a hard time not laying down. Finally he gave in and laid down with his head against the emerald like always. "Hey there, don't tell me you're still tired from last night." Shade said as she looked down at him with a small smile. "I'm not tired at all, I'm just going to sit back and relax while I listen to the soft sounds of the island." he said with a small yawn dispelling the apparent lie. Shade just shook her head and let Knuckles doze off. She stood for a while longer looking out at all the surroundings. Then the sound of what Knuckles had said began to enchant her. "I'll give it a shot, even if he was just kidding..." she assured herself as she laid down next Knuckles. Shade closed her eyes lazily and began to listen to the wind blowing slowly across the island, the leave rustling in the breeze, the animals that inhabited the island searching for a meal or something else, and the slow breathing of his. She turned and scooted closer to Knuckles until she put her arm around him. Just for a minute she thought herself.
Shade had her hand on his chest as it heaved up and down slowly. She began to doze off and she moved closer until she could rest her head on his chest. The soft quills of his against her thick dread-spines. Shade looked sleepily at the white crescent on his chest and was about to doze off when she heard a rather odd noise. It was low and deep, and it emanated from what appeared to be Knuckles. Shade lifted her head only to have the laughing Knuckles grab her and pull her into a deep kiss. "Fell for it" he said after the embrace ended. Shade punched him lightly but soon found herself once again on his lips. Knuckles sat up while holding Shade close, her body heat radiating off her quills made him feel more comfortable than ever. The two laid there for a while, just enjoying the soft breeze that played around them and the warm touch of the other. Eventually it was Shade who got up. She stretched her arms high over her head before looking back down at Knuckles. "Aren't you going to get up?" She said casting him a smile. "Nope, I'm going to sit right here and enjoy it." "Enjoy what?" Asked Shade mildly confused. "The taste of you on my lips" Knuckles said slyly while pulling Shade down on top of him. "Well then, let me give you another helping."
The day grew late and eventually it ended with the rising of a white crescent. "Are we going to head back soon?" asked Shade as the glow of the Master Emerald illuminated the altar. "Most of the time I stay out here night and day but we could always head back if you wanted" Knuckles answered while starting to get up. "Hmm" was all that Shade said. "you head on in I have an idea" She said after a moments thought. "Oh no, i'll be right here, just wake me if you need me" Knuckles said before lying back down again. Shade waited for him to be gently dozing before a quick teleport to Tails' workshop. She went up to the door and knocked lightly but there wasn't an answer. A minute later she Heard a rather large bang from somewhere in the house and she used her belt to teleport inside. She raced towards a smoking door and kicked it down. "I wish I had my helmet" she said to herself before charging in. Shade ran towards a smoking chamber and she ripped open the door to find a fire going. She was about to try and close the chamber again when a figure grabbed her from behind. Shade whipped around to find a figure in a fire suit. He pulled out a small gun and fired it at the flame before Shade could react. The fire died and Tails began to take off the fire suit.
Shade teleported back to Angel Island with a large box of things from Tails. "I hope his next experiment goes better" She thought as the fire popped into her mind. Shade walked up the steps of the altar and was satisfied to see that Knuckles was still silently dozing. "Alright, time to get to work" She mused to herself as she began unpacking the goodies from Tails'. Laser alarms, a couple traps, a wireless InterCom., and a small dish designed to capture ambient energy. Shade spent several minutes setting everything up, and bashing her foot with a certain dish in the process, before sighing contently to herself. Shade looked at her work and ran off a list of the components and their duty. "Lets see... A full array of laser alarms that can be told do ignore the residents but be alert of anything else, a series of of smart traps that were deployed in the ten best hiding places around the altar, the alarms for all of these were all set to the InterCom. That had two wireless receivers and a home hub that Shade had dropped off at Knuckles', and the small dish was set up to capture the ambient energy released from the Master Emerald to keep everything charged no matter the time. Shade walked over to Knuckles slowly and then laid down with him.
Shade rested her head on Knuckles' chest and was about to fall asleep. "So then" said Knuckles causing Shade to jump. "Did you finish setting up your system?" he continued while opening his eyes. "You were awake? The whole time?" "well, no, I woke up when you bashed your foot with that dish thing" Knuckles said with a small smile on his face. Shade rubbed the sore spot on her foot while muttering "I'm used to having my boots." "You should have been more careful when you were putting that thing up" "yeah yeah I know, but at least now everything is fine" "I wasn't talking about the mechanical stuff, you're wearing a dress and its quiet breezy at night, especially with the open end." Shade blushed when she realized what Knuckles was saying. She turned away with her face starting to turn as red as his. "I always wondered, if under that armor, you were beautiful, I was right" Knuckles said as he pulled her closer. Shade turned back to him and stared into the violet irises that she had already fallen in love with. She nuzzled against his chest and did her best to leave no more room between them. Knuckles then raised his hand and tipped her head back while supporting Shade's back with his other arm. "I always thought it would be weird, to miss something I never had, but now that I have someone to love, I see how much I was missing" Knuckles said before pulling Shade into a deep kiss. Passion flared with the dancing of tongues, hands gripping and pulling at each other, hearts beating faster with every moment that their lips relished in the taste of each others'. They broke for air and Shade rested her head on his chest while she panted heavily. Shade saw what lay before her and she released a little chuckle. "What was that for?" asked Knuckles curious as to what was so funny. "When I was on Nocturne, I had a similar feeling, that all that time would go by and if we never made it back, that I wouldn't be able to see the brilliant moon I remembered." Shade said as she resumed nuzzling his chest. "I don't see whats so funny though" said Knuckles still confused. "Well whats funny is that now, as long as I'm with you, I will get to see the moon every night" Shade said as she traced the crescent shape on his body. Knuckles, finally understanding, picked Shade up and started to slowly descend from the altar all the while relishing in the taste of Shade's lips. In the back of her head, as the lovers embrace deepened, a voice seemed to say as if from nowhere, "I missed the moon."
Good night, live life, and think of what you miss.
--- One Psychopathic Maniacal Fox
