He didn't return until nightfall. "Seems odd to me," she said, "that you should be gone so often while you're supposed to be babysitting."
"I've been close by," he retorted. "I know you don't think anything of me, but don't think I don't know my duty."
She nodded sagely. "That's the one virtue I know you have, commitment to that duty."
He hmphed and turned away.
"What is your problem?" she asked.
"You."
"Of course. I'm the source of all life's problems, and especially all of your problems." Guilt was one of her favorite tools.
"Why'd you have to come back?"
"You let me come," she reminded him.
"I know. That's another problem. But why'd you have to come?"
"I didn't have to come," she said. "I'm never lacking in opportunities. But this… this was something different."
"How so?"
"You're here."
He smiled. "That's odd. When you first arrived, you claimed that I had nothing to do with it. Now I'm the reason you're here. Which is it?"
"Both," she said, just to tie him in knots.
His jaw dropped. "Your lack of shame is astounding!" he exclaimed. "You're just making this all up as you go along!"
"I told you already that you insult me with those words!"
"You could use a good insult!"
"Take that back!" she growled.
"I will! You could use a whole bunch of good insults, 'cause it would take more than one to wise you up!"
She wriggled her fingers, displaying the claws built into them.
"Lay a paw on me and you can kiss your treasure hunt goodbye, not to mention your stay here!"
"You wouldn't touch me! You apologized for hurting me in the past, there's no way you'd hurt me now!"
"I don't have to hurt you. You have wings, after all; all I need to do is toss you off the edge. Your equipment would make great lawn decorations."
She turned away. "Fine, then, forget it."
"Forget what, exactly?"
"This argument! Forget that I ever wanted to make this a brawl!" Besides, she admitted, if it became a fistfight I'm not sure who would win.
She hated to be in such a position of weakness. He really did have some power over her—he determined when all of this ended. She wanted to prolong it; that was a weakness he was taking advantage of.
On the other paw…
"Maybe I will leave."
He twitched.
"You obviously want me to leave. Maybe I should."
He crossed his arms, though Rouge thought she saw them shaking before they got there. "That would remove a threat to the Master Emerald."
"So you DO want me to leave!" she howled.
"I never said that!" he shouted back.
There was silence for a few seconds. "Then… you want me to stay?"
He turned away so he didn't have to look at her. "I'll tolerate it."
Rouge felt a moment of relief, but her predator instinct kicked in the moment after. You're transparent, she thought with contempt.
I've turned a situation of disadvantage to one of advantage—all it took was to be sure he wanted me here. He talks tough about how I'm a threat, but he wants me here.
Of course. Who wouldn't?
At the same time, she was greatly relieved—and gladdened.
Gladdened? 'Naturally, because it means I get to stay longer.'
No, that wasn't all of it.
Rouge was getting tired of this mental duplicity. Every time she felt or said something, she felt or said it twice—once how she wanted to, and once in a rebel part of her, hidden deep inside.
If she could simply feel the one she wanted to, she'd be better off—these rogue feelings were only messing her up.
Then again… wasn't the content-tingle she wanted so desperately from that part of her?
'Forget it. Focus.'
She laughed out loud. "I forgot. What was this conversation about, again?"
"It doesn't matter," he said, calmly.
She shook her head. "We do have vicious fights, don't we?"
"You know," he said, "you're the only one who's ever gone mouth-to-mouth with me with any success."
She gasped, stunned. She recovered quickly. "And you mean WHAT?!"
He blushed furiously—quite a trick for someone with red fur. "That didn't come out how I meant it to," he said through clenched teeth.
"No joke! What could you possibly have meant before you spoke and screwed it up?"
"I meant that you're the only who's ever matched me arguing," he said, blustering. "It was supposed to be a comment."
"It sounded like a come-on."
"It wasn't!" he said, still raging. "I was comparing you to Sonic."
"You were comparing Sonic's and my mouths?!"
"Shut up! That's not what I meant!"
She shook her head patronizingly. "You really are a fool," she said, "and you disprove your own statement. When you blundered through that, you only showed how weak you are at matching wits."
He smiled. "So I made a mistake. So what? You've always underestimated me, but you've got the scars to show how much that's a mistake."
"I most certainly do not," she said haughtily. "I had them removed. I have an appearance to maintain."
"I don't know. A few scars might do you some good."
"You truly are barbaric."
"As you wish."
There was an awkward silence. 'What did THAT mean?' Rouge wondered. There were many possibilities, but that phrase was used mostly by lovers.
She almost snorted at that—if he knew that, he was making a terrible joke.
Instead, she took it. "I told you before, I always get what I want."
A wicked smile broke on his face, and she knew she'd been had. "If that were true," he said, "then the pedestal on this island would be missing a certain jewel."
Rather than try and wriggle out, she gave in. "You win."
"You're still underestimating me, Rouge."
She knew that, for the second time in two sentences, he was right.
Rouge sat alone in the tent she'd rigged up. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear Knuckles outside. He'd be settled for a few moments, but then he'd rush about or pace restlessly. He had a lot of pent-up energy, that was for sure.
'How could he be so active?' Rouge thought, yawning. 'He exercised virtually all day today—how can he have so much energy he can't sleep?'
She stretched as much as she could in the confines of the tent. Though she preferred better accommodations—her favorite tent had a built-in commode and lavatory—this tiny tent had been the best choice given her limited cargo space.
This place was so noisy! Her sensitive ears picked up more than just Knuckles' pacing. She heard the rustlings of night animals, the calls of hunters and cries of prey, and the combined chirpings and scratchings of millions upon millions of insects.
The sound, if anything, seemed to be increasing. Now the wind rustled through the trees, stirring leaves and branches in an endless rustle. Now the wind passed, and all the trees groaned back into place.
This served only to irritate the local wildlife further. The noise increased tenfold over what it had been. The uproar engulfed Rouge's tent, driving her mad with the bustle and clamor.
'Enough!' she thought. She threw her blanket off herself, crawled out of the tent, and stood.
"SHUUUUUUT UUUUUUUPPP!!!"
The volume decreased a little—not enough to let her get to sleep easily, but enough for her to know everyone had heard her. In that case, it was as if the general population was making fun of her, refusing to bend to her will.
A new sound appeared. Her ears swiveled to it, followed by her eyes. Knuckles was laughing at her.
"What?!" she snapped.
"And here I thought I was the only one who couldn't get to sleep. Looks like you're still pretty lively, too."
"Don't flatter yourself by comparing yourself to me!" she said. "You are nothing like me!"
"Thank Chaos," Knuckles replied.
Rouge returned to her bed pad inside the tent. She lay there for… who knew how long? She wasn't exactly checking her clock to see when she drifted off. But before she went, she thought to herself, 'I don't WANT Knuckles to be like me…'
TO BE CONTINUED…