Secluded
4
Disclaimer: I own none of the mentioned characters, they belong to Sega
"You got a fire going all right."
Smoke arose in every available space among the undergrowth and trees. The four of them watched the inferno, unable to think clearly or even remember how they had managed it. A flash of searing heat appeared amongst the roots and the smoke began to thicken. Small flames began to stir at the trunks of trees behind the charred fire pit and climbed the wooden giants, singing the leaves. The fires resembled bright squirrels and the cinders small firebirds. Acres of black and yellowish smoke rolled towards the sea and across the island, covering the boys in soot. The heat of flame, which resembled an uncontrollable beast and the smoke clogging their lungs, caused them to flee the area.
Tails realized the silence and stillness that had washed over Shadow, Sonic, and Knuckles as they took in the horrible, splendid sight.
The minute drum roll that the small campfire had made was now like a booming air horn. Tails turned away from hell to see the wheezing body of Rouge, a look of absolute shock painted on her face.
"W-what is this?!" she shouted, hysterical
"Tails let the fire go out of control!" accused Shadow.
"You let the fire go out of control; you were in charge of watching it while I gathered tinder!" Tails recriminated.
"Guys, guys-"
"Hey, were have you been?" asked Knuckles, eyeing Rouges dirty body.
"I was in the woods before I met up with you-"
"Hey, you said you didn't know were Rouge was!"
"Looks like you're both at fault…"
"QUIET!" shouted Sonic, in a much harsher tone than normal. That shut everyone up.
"Everyone was talking about the need for a smoke signal, and then we all scramble for firewood like a bunch of savages. How can we expect to be rescued if we don't put first things first and act orderly and proper?!" shouted Sonic.
He paused from his tirade, showing another side of the blue hedgehog that was not commonly demonstrated to the rest of the group. He gazed at the turmoil and destruction the fire was causing and the creation of dead wood, gasping in air.
"Now we've gone and created a freaking bonfire that isn't any use. We'll burn the whole island down, how stupid would we look, out here on a charred mountain tip in nothing but rags? Cooked fruit, yeah, I don't want to experience that. We make Tails our leader, he suggests something, and we get all disorganized and now-"
He ceased yelling and paused in the tumult, taking a seat on a dry log, rubbing his sweaty forehead.
Tails looked towards Knuckles and Rouge and told them to sprinkle dirt onto the fire using their digging abilities.
Shadow licked his dry lips, looking from one person to another and then at himself. How could Tails even suggested that it was his fault? He eyed his crippled leg and remembered his immobility. Me, cause a fire unintentionally? Ridiculous.
Knuckles was eying the crippled hedgehog while spraying dirt onto the flames in order to suffocate and douse them. He then looked at Rouge, pressing his dry lips together. Her curvy body, covered in sweat and dirt while working vigorously did nothing but cause that pleasurable sensation of want and disgust to cascade throughout his persperating body. He then remembered what he saw earlier, her with shadow. Even if she denied that hug to be an affectionate one, he still could not shake the feeling that it wasn't, even thought it was.
'Shadow…' he thought to himself, glowering at him.
He knew that Shadow was hurt at the moment, and as a result, could not fight back. It was the perfect opportunity, the right time-
'To hurt him' he thought.
Hurt him? Because Rouge hugged him? They were friends, just close friends, no need to get aggressive.
He continued to repeat the same reasons of whether to hurt Shadow, not hurt Shadow, or just leave it. Not much later, he and Rouge had finished shoveling dirt onto the fire and eventually, doused it. Immediately after, Tails called a meeting.
"We have a problem" he began, dusting himself off, as he and the others had become noticeably dirtier. The fire had taken up a good deal of time out of the day, and the sun had risen to its peak as it would be at mid day.
'A problem? Did you call a meeting to address that? If you think we didn't notice the wildfire just now-"
"Enough Shadow!"
"I'm calling this meeting to address some ground rules. We've been disorganized. Shadow, you've been barely any help, Sonic, you've been fooling around, Knuckles, all you did was gather shelter supplies and then did nothing, and Rouge, all you've done is wander around aimlessly. As for myself, I have to admit I haven't been the greatest leader…"
"No, you just suck" snorted Shadow.
Tails ignored this and continued.
"So I want to split into two groups, one the shelter and fire signal maintainers, and the other food gatherers, or hunters."
"I want some meat" grumbled Knuckles, rubbing his stomach.
"You're lucky that you're still alive Knucklehead, I bet it was you who started that fire" said Rouge, giving him a look of discontent.
'I new it' Knuckles thought to himself. 'She dependently doesn't like me; all she cares about is that pompous fool Shadow…'
Knuckles grabbed his forehead and turned away from the group, but this motion of distress went unnoticed.
"Me, Rouge, and Sonic will be the fire group, and Knuckles and Shadow will be the hunters" Tails continued, a sense of authority about his voice.
"Why am I with him?" Shadow asked grudgingly, pointing an accusing finger at Knuckles.
"Got a problem?" asked Knuckles, deep enmity in his voice directed at Shadow.
The hiatus between the two was intensifying in a manor of savagery, even if it had not yet reached them.
"Guys, guys!"
A miniature tumult aroused amongst the group, rage increasing.
"GUYS! If we want to be rescued, nay, even survive, then we have to get along and work like a team! To you hear me? T-E-AM! There's no "I" in team!" shouted Tails.
"But there is a "me"…"
"I'm gonna feed you to the seagulls man."
Much later, the sun had sank to the point were it was level with the sea, reflecting its bright rays of light off the water, giving the sky a purplish look to it. Sonic and Tails had gone off with Rouge to collect more supplies, but she trailed behind, intent on being alone. Shadow and Knuckles had gone out to look for food, maybe even catch and kill a boar of some sort. When Sonic and Tails had trotted down the beach to look back at the abundant forest and the mountain near the unexplored cliff, Rouge followed them for a few yards and then stopped, waiting for them to walk away without noticing her absence.
She stood on the sandy shoreline, flowing down at a crumbled shell that was washed up on the beach. She turned and headed into the forest with an air of purpose. She walked about the scar and approached a great rock, staring at it with the intention to rest on it, but instead laid on the firm soil. She wasn't trying to be shirking, but more or less think over things.
She picked up a rock and hurled it a few yards, watching it until it smacked into a large tree and fell to the ground.
"Knuckles…" she thought aloud, tilting her head to one side.
The very thought of him made her somewhat uncomfortable. The thought of him and Shadow fighting was an even more oppressive thought to bear. She was confused and disorientated. She knew she loved Knuckles, that was for sure, and she was just very good friends with Shadow.
That clearly wasn't what Knuckles thought.
She wanted a way to convince Knuckles that she had no romantic interest in Shadow without having to say she loved Knuckles. She really didn't want him thinking the opposite, never wanting the endless circle of flirting and teasing to end, but only shift. But she had no ability to summon up the needed courage to tell him, fearing what the truth might be.
Her heart raced at the thought of her walking up to Knuckles and saying "I love you". No way in hell could she do it.
As she leaned over to hurl another stone, she heard a defining crash from near were she had been resting. Bolting upright, she ran in the direction of the sound, putting her fears behind her for the moment.
"Why do I always end up running towards horrible sounds?" she said as she dashed closer to whatever made the noise.
Elsewhere in the jungle, Knuckles and Shadow were running towards the sound, intent on finding out what had caused it, and to get a break from having to work together.
"It came from the unexplored trench" said Shadow, speeding ahead of Knuckles.
"Hey,
slow down!"
"You're the one lollygagging."
At what looked like a crossroad in the dirt, Shadow and Knuckles met up with Tails and Sonic, each one running in the same direction, no doubt to inspect the crash.
"You heard it to?"
"No doubt."
"Hey, where's Rouge?" asked Knuckles, noticing that she was missing from Sonic's troupe.
"Damn it, we lost her!" yelled Sonic, dodging a low hanging branch.
As if on cue, Rouge cam from atop the canopy and sailed overhead the gang, looking rather annoyed.
"There you are! Where the heck have you been?" asked Sonic, turning his head to face the bat.
"I had to gather my thoughts" she replied, quickly gazing at Knuckles but then turning her head back towards the path.
"Hey, is that-"
A smiling pink hedgehog was running towards the group, waving her arm in the air, smiling vibrantly.
"Oh no."
Authors note: enter Amy, you'll se how she got there next chap. Also, some of the foreshadowing will be revealed, ooohhhh. Anywhosinwhatsit (my word for "anyway") make sure to review, I appreciate those.
