Cooooooooooool! Thank Ya'll for reviewing! *grins widely* I am so very truly sorry for not posting sooner. I had a big technical problem where it wouldn't let me into my file! Plus, I have these major projects due in L.A. for poetry! Alright, so anyway, READ ON!:

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Chapter 3:

"Whew, what a workout." Knuckles said a while later, grabbing a towel off the ground.

"You put up quite a fight, Treasure - hunter," Rouge said with a teasing smirk. The corner of Knux's mouth quirked up in a half smile.

"Your punches were off aim, though," Responded the red echidna. Rouge came back with a "Yeah, but so were your kicks."

"I'll make you a deal. You teach me to kick well, I'll teach you to punch. We kinda need it, anyway, since those are our weak spots."

"Deal." They shook on it. Knuckles looked up, where he could see a beautiful sunset right behind his bat friend. Millions of little white dots already clouded the sky behind them, and from there it met with a brilliant shade of purple mixed with orange, yellow, and pink. The sun flecked its last rays of the day in their direction, as though waving goodbye, and then dissapeared. Knuckles turned Rouge around, seeing her confused face.

"Wow, I haven't seen a sunset that beautiful for a long time now." she whispered. Knuckles plopped down, sitting on the grass and watching the slow - motion sunset, and his girlfriend fell down next to him, grabbing his hand. They both fell asleep under the stars that night, forgetting about the Master Emerald for once.

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In another place in the world, say, the Rainforests, Dr. Alchmez and his crew had just discovered that there was a chaos emerald somewhere in the area, and were determined to get it.

"HAHAHAHA! Once I get all nine emeralds, I can GET RID OF THOSE FOOLS WHO RIDICULED ME DURING MY SCHOOL DAYS! Plus, I can be supreme dictator of Earth. " He added as an afterthought.

His minions sweatdropped behind him. Every day he said that about ten times, and they were getting sick of it.

"Master, aren't there only seven emeralds?" Marigold dared ask for the first time. She, being a shopoholic and a spendthrift, never really paid much attention to her duties.

"NO Marigold! The Master Emerald and Star Diamond neutralize the power of the Chaos Emeralds! That's why you dunderheads need to get them while I look for the Chaos emeralds! Get it?"

"Yes sir." she responded. Under her breath, she whispered to her companion, "I think he's lost it."

The stout one agreed. "Yes, I think so too. Wouldn't he rather have world domination rather than torment the people he has grudges on?"

Marigold shook her head no. "He's strange that way."

"Very strange."

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A grunt came from the black echidna as he finished his training. Midnight needed to stay in shape if he wanted to protect the Star Diamond correctly. In a way, he was just like the old Knuckles, almost like his twin.

"0.o! Scary thought." He said to himself that day, thinking along the same lines. He sighed, he'd really like to have some company, like that other echidna had that white bat.

"Oh, well. . ." he whispered while sitting down on the steps to the shrine of the Diamond. He needed sleep badly, because he had a cramp in his left side and wanted to get rid of it. So he tucked the Diamond inside his arms as he drifted off to dreamland. Unfortunately, Marigold had been spying, and so she grabbed the Diamond and ran off to get Alchmez.

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Once again, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS! *glomps everyone who replied* heh. Okay and i'm sorry again for the delay. I'll try to make it faster next time. Till next chappie peeps!

~Rainie~