New Beginnings

Chapter 5

I arrived at my house rather quickly and laid Rouge down on my bed. I suddenly looked her over, taking in her features. Beautiful. 'Huh?' She is still holding the Red Chaos Emerald. I reach in my quills take out the Purple Chaos Emerald and placed it emerald in her left hand, holding it there with my own hand, hoping that it would help.

For what seemed like hours I held her hand, praying, hoping, for her to awaken. Suddenly, her hand moved. I waited for her to move again, and she did, her eyelids began to shake. "Rouge . . . ?" I said softly. She turned her head to me, and slowly opened her eyes. "Hey . . . knucklehead . . ." She softly said "Hey Rouge, you better get through this, I owe you dinner." "Oh . . . I'm just fine. I just need a rest." I sighed happily. "Then rest Rouge, we have a big day tomorrow." She didn't respond, just closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile on her face. Before I realized it, I went in and kissed her on the forehead. I drew back slowly, and it seemed that her smile grew more. As I was just about to leave the room, I heard something in my head, 'I love you, Rouge the Bat.' I froze. Did I just think that? . . . I did, didn't I? Tomorrow, after we destroy that damn Chaos Onyx.

[Time passes,

Feelings change

But for better? Or for Worse?]

I awake to the light of the sun beating down upon my face and the smell of . . . Eggs? I remember laying down on my couch, cause Rouge had the bed. 'Morning already? Who's making eggs?' I look up from my couch, following the aroma of eggs outside. "Tails? Sonic?" The blue hedgehog looked at me. "Well look who finally woke up! Huh?" I turn around to find Rouge right behind me, still wrapped in my blanket. "Whoooaah! Knuckles the STUD!" My head jerks to Sonic, whom is smirking. "WHAT!?" I suddenly realized what he meant. "You idiot! WE DID NOT DO ANYTHING!" I said in unison with Rouge. Shocked, I slightly recoiled and blushed. "Sonic? Wha- oh . . ." Tails saw us, and probably thought the same thing Sonic did. "Eggs will be done in two minutes." He said quickly as he went back to making breakfast. I think its kind of rude that people just assume that if a male and a female spend the night in the same HOUSE something happens . . . not that I'd mind but STILL!

Sonic seemed to calm down after I yelled at him, and breakfast went by normally. "Sonic, I am going to have to ask both you and Tails to leave early, there is something me and Rouge must do." "Woo hooo" "NOT LIKE THAT SONIC!" Tails smacks Sonic in the back of the head. Wow, never thought I would see the day that Tails would do such a thing, to Sonic of all people! Shaking my head I brought out the Chaos Onyx. "Me and Rouge have to destroy this." "Well why can't we help?" "The Guardian can only choose one person to assist." I lie, cause in truth, I want to tell Rouge something. Sonic went into silence. "I wish you two good luck." Tails said before he and Sonic left, but not before taking down the porta-kitchen. "Come on Knuckles." I think she caught on.

We arrived at the Shrine. "So how do we destroy it?" "I did some research, we place it on the Master Emerald." "That sounds easy." "Yeah, but we still need to stay around it." I place the Chaos Onyx on the Master Emerald. Suddenly the Master Emerald begins to glow, and shoots out an orange ball of light. "Whaa!" I hear Rouge exclaim. "Tikal!" I step back, allowing the ball some room. 'I see you brought the Chaos Onyx.' I hear her say in my head. "Aaah! There's a female voice in my head!" "Calm down Rouge, its just Tikal." "Who's Tikal?" As soon as she asked that, the ball flashed and turned into the Orange, hippie clothed, Echidna. "I am Tikal. Now do not worry, I am just a spirit, but I also channel the Master Emerald's power. This will take me some time, in fact, until sunset." "Understood Tikal." I say. "Go have fun you two, but be sure to come back at sunset!" I nod, and notice Rouge does too, and we leave the shrine. "So how do you know Tikal?" Rouge asks. "Remember Chaos?" "How could I forget that massive water creature?" She shuddered slightly. "Tikal was the one who sealed him in the Master Emerald all those years ago. That, and she is like a mother to me." I chuckled that last part. "So, knucklehead, what do you propose we do?" "Twinkle Park?" "You know something? I've never been there." "Neither have I, but I have passed it quite a few times on my search for the shards." "Then lets go, I hear its fun." I smiled, and we ran for the Train Station.

Happy New Year everyone!