'Sup all you happy readers. I'm back again for another chapter in this story. I'm giving you this chapter for the long wait I put ya'll through. So lets get this chapter rolling shall we?
Chapter 8
The sun rose again on Angel Island like any other day. But this day was a special day for the inhabitants of the waking island. The sun shone through the city streets and into the window of the royal family. As the sun rose higher it shown it's radiance through the window awaking the beautiful mother. She rose up from her slumber and breathed in deep.
"Mmmm, what a beautiful morning," she said as she stretched her arms. She looked over to her husband who was still in a deep slumber. She leaned over her husband, placed her hand on his head, and gave him a loving kiss on the cheek.
"Mmmm, good morning my love," he said as he awakened.
"It's time my dear," she said as she got out of bed.
"It is time isn't it," he said as he rose up. "Call for my servants and get ready for the celebration."
It's time. It is time for the young prince to emerge from his mental training and take his place as Guardian. The king's best servants entered into the sleeping quarters and lined up in front of the waking king and queen.
"What is your wish, our king?"
"Go and return with my son. Today is the day."
A smile etched their faces as they gave a bow and exited the royal sleeping quarters. As the king watched them exit the room, he got out of bed and stretched out wide. He turned to his open window to feel the gentle breeze entering the room.
"Yes, today is the day. I'm so proud of our son," the king said as he breathed in deeply. "My love, tell the rest of the servants to prepare for the festivities. This'll be the celebration to remember."
The queen nodded as she exited out of the room. As she exited, she gave her husband a smile and then walked down the hall towards the servants.
On the outside of the palace, all of the servants were hard at work to prepare for the day. Decorators littered the halls with gold banners and lights, caterers prepared the food for any and all tastes of the inhabitants of the island, and all of the servants are working around the clock to get the grand hall ready for the best celebration of their lives! The group of servants that was called upon to retrieve the echidna prince was heading out of the palace with their heads held high and a smile that could go for miles. All of the inhabitants of Angel Island knew that today was the day, and every person got even busier and busier to get ready for the grand party. As the servants walked down the street towards the temple of the Chaosis, they couldn't contain their excitement.
"Man, this is gonna be the best celebration ever!" the first servant said.
"Yea, the king's going all out with this one," the second one stated.
"Yes, it may even be better than the king's celebration when he was going to be guardian," the third said.
"C'mon, lets hurry up and get the young prince so we can get this party started!" the forth one said as he raced towards the temple with the others dead behind him. They ran through the village towards the temple where the young prince was supposedly be training. The walked up the stairs and entered inside the temple where the head priest and Tikal was waiting.
"Good morning, and how may we be of some assistance," the priest said.
The servants bowed in the presence of the high priest and began to speak.
"We have come here to retrieve the young prince for the celebration," the third one said.
"Yes, I knew you'll be coming," said the priest, "Tikal, show them the way."
Tikal nodded and escorted them to the chamber of young Knuckles' mental training. The servants smile in anticipation to see how much that the young prince has learned and grown from his mental training. The kept walking until they finally reached the door that shall reveal the young echidna prince.
"Here is the door, dear friends," Tikal said showing the door, "Since the mental training is complete, you can enter and retrieve the young prince."
One of the servants walked to the door and opened it. He entered into the room and stood still in shock. The other servants stood outside the door wondering what's taking the other so long to get him.
"What's taking him so long just to get the prince," the first one said.
"I dunno. Maybe he's honored to be in the same room as the new guardian and can't move because of the excitement," the second one said, scratching his head.
"C'mon, lets get him so we can go. I wanna get my party on," said the forth servant.
The others agreed and entered into the room with the forth servant. At that moment, when the rest of the servants entered into that room, the other three quickly duplicated the same face on the third servant. There they breathed in deep and let out a deafening cry.
"THE PRINCE IS GONE!!!!!"
Those words poured out of the mental training room and echoed through the temple, being quickly followed by shocked faces. The servants ran out the room and through the temple, tripping over themselves along the way. The quickly ran down the steps and through the village towards the palace. They ran frantically through the door and unto the great hall where they opened the doors with a heavy crash. The king and queen looked upon the servants, who were trying to catch their breath, with puzzled looks in their eyes.
"My servants," the king asked. "What's the meaning of this? Is their something wrong?"
"Sir," the first servant began, "It's.... terrible..."
"What's terrible?" the queen asked with fear in her eyes, "Where is my son?"
"You highness," the third servant began, still trying to catch his breath. "You son is missing."
"Missing!" the king exclaimed. "What do you mean missing?"
"Well," the second servant said, "when we entered into the room he was no where to be seen. He's gone!"
The same shocked face that once etched the faces of the servants are now being painted on the faces of the other servants like a painter completing his inspiring masterpiece. The whole room was in shock and voices echoed through the great hall.
"The prince is missing?"
"Where did he go?"
"I bet he's been kidnapped!"
"Or been abducted by an unknown force!"
The hall was in an uproar about their missing prince until the king gave the command for them to calm down.
"Order! I must have order in the great hall!" the king shouted. "You, bring me my elite guard, now!"
At the king's demand, the servants ran through the palace to look for the king's elite guards to get to the bottom of this strange disappearance.
(ELSEWHERE AT STATION SQUARE)
"Rouge? Rouge honey, time to wake up."
...
"Wake up honey. Time for you to go to school."
The morning came again and climbed into Rouge's bedroom in an attempt to wake her up. Rouge still stayed in her dreamland until her mother came in to gently wake her up.
"Hmm, you sleep harder than your father honey," Rouge's mother said as she gently gave her sleeping princess a kiss.
"Mommy, good morning." Rouge said as she rose from the bed and wiped the sand from her eyes.
"Good morning, Rouge darling. Now you need to get ready to go to school. I'll be back up here in a few minutes so get ready, ok?"
"Ok mommy," Rouge said as she arose from her bed. Rouge gave her mom a hug and went into the bathroom to get ready for school.
Across the way from Rouge's apartment, Knuckles also rose from his slumber. He stretched out and gave out a deep yawn.
"Man, I love sleeping outdoors," Knuckles said as he stretched out some more. His arose to the sounds of the busy city streets and the noise of people moving about, but the serene sound of the city was quickly deafened by a large growl. Knuckles jumped up in a fighting stance to find the source of the growling.
"Where are ya? Come out and fight!"
Knuckles looked around for the source, but there were none in sight. The sound came again from below and Knuckles looked down.
"Oh yea, that's me," Knuckles said as he held his stomach. "I need to find something to tame this beast inside my belly. Hmm..."
Knuckles looked over the ledge to find any source of food from down below, but to no avail. He then thought to himself and remember something.
"Hey, maybe Rouge has something good to eat. I'll just go pay her a visit."
As soon as Knuckles said that, he jumped off the ledge and glided towards Rouge's apartment.
"Honey, are you almost finished?" Rouge's father said.
"Yes, daddy, I'm almost finished," Rouge said back. Rouge was about to exit her room before she heard a knock on her window. She turned around and gave a cute smile when she saw who was at the window.
"Hi Knuckles," Rouge said waving.
"Hi Rouge," Knuckles answered. "Hey can you let me in?"
Rouge gave a little nod and opened the window. Knuckles stepped off the ledge and onto Rouge's room, where Rouge gave him a big hug.
"Wow Rouge," Knuckles said, "It's nice to meet you too."
"I'm just happy to see you again," Rouge said letting go. "So why did you want to see me this morning? This isn't the time for us to go on our little date."
"I know," Knuckles said, "but I'm kinda hungry and I wonder if you got anything to eat."
"Well of course we got something to eat," Rouge said, "I can get you whatever you want. My mommy's a good cook."
"That's great," Knuckles answered, licking his lips and rubbing his belly. "I can't wait."
Rouge gave a little smile and was about to exit her room yet again, until she heard another voice.
"Rouge honey, what's taking so long?" Rouge's mother asked.
"I'm just having a little trouble finding something," Rouge answered back.
"Well I'm coming up there to help you," Rouge's mother said.
A worried look went across Rouge's face. "Umm, that's ok mommy. I can find it."
"Well, I'm gonna have to help you 'cause you need to hurry up and eat before you're late for school," Rouge's mother said as she walked up the stairs towards her room.
Rouge's eyes widened as she ran towards Knuckles and grabbed him by the arms.
"Oh my, if mommy catches you in here, who knows what she'll do to you!"
"What can I do?" Knuckles said as he was being drugged to the closet.
"Here's what you do," Rouge said as she shoved Knuckles into her closet. "Just stay in there and don't move. I'll try to stall mommy and try to get her out of here."
"Alright Rouge," Knuckles said as he was stuffed inside the closet and was closed within.
Just when she closed the door, another door opened in Rouge's room to reveal her mother standing on the other side.
"Rouge," her mother asked, "is there something wrong?"
"Umm, yea. I can't find my...my...my backpack. Yea that's it. My backpack's missing," Rouge said.
"Your backpack? Hmm, well I have seen it."
"You have mommy?"
"Yes I have, and I put it in this closet for you. I'll get it."
'Oh no!' Rouge thought to herself. 'If she finds Knuckles in there, he's done for! I gotta think of something quick.'
Rouge's mother was just about to turn the closet door open until Rouge said something.
"Umm, mommy? I know where my backpack is, I mean to say that I lost my Cutie Doll."
"Is that what you mean honey?"
"Yes mommy," Rouge said as she nodded.
"Well ok honey. Wait, I just remembered that I left my little purse inside your backpack. I'll go in the closet and get it."
'Oh no! Knuckles!' Rouge thought as she closed her eyes.
Inside the closet, Knuckles was overhearing the conversation between Rouge and her mother. He moved back into the closet deeper as the closet door opened up revealing a tiny streak of light in the darkness.
'C'mon Knuckles, think!' he thought to himself. 'How can I get out of this mess?' Knuckles looked around and saw a doll with a goofy look on its face.
'I hope this works 'cause I don't have any other ideas,' Knuckles said as he sat lump and still with a goofy look on his face.
The mother opened up the close door to look for the backpack only noticing the strange object on the floor.
"Rouge honey," her mother began, "What's this?"
"Umm, that?" Rouge said as she opened her eyes to her mother pointing to the thing with the goofy looking face. "Umm, that's ... a doll somebody let me play with from school."
"A doll?" the mother said with a confused look on her face.
"Yes mommy, it's my doll," Rouge said as she drug Knuckles out of the closet. "See isn't it neat?"
Rouge's mother picked up the doll and looked Knuckles over.
"Hmm, it looks to big to be a doll of some kind. And I never seen this kind of doll anywhere in these stores."
"Umm, that's an import doll all the way from Japan," Rouge said.
"Really, an import," Rouge's mother said. "Hmm, it smells a little bit."
'You don't smell like a bed of roses neither...wait a minute...you do,' Knuckles thought to himself.
"And mommy you should see what cool things it can do," Rouge said.
"Really? Show me," her mother said as she handed Knuckles to Rouge.
"Rouge, what are you doing?" Knuckles said as he whispered into her ear without moving a muscle.
"Listen Knuckles," Rouge said whispering back, "Just play along and do what I say."
"See mommy, if you pull on his tail he says something," Rouge said as she began to pull on Knuckles' tail.
Knuckles had to play along as he endured the pain and said something out of his teeth.
"You're my very best friend."
Rouge pulls again on Knuckles' tail, and Knuckles had no choice but to comply.
"Let's play together sometime."
Another pull.
"I love you, for ever and ever."
"See mommy, ain't he the sweetest dolly," Rouge said as she gave Knuckles a crushing hug and a little kiss on the cheek.
"Hmm, the Japanese are very ingenious with their toys. Alright Rouge, put him down and let's go eat."
"Alright mommy," Rouge said as he put Knuckles down.
As Rouge's mother walked down the stairs and out of sight, Rouge gave out a sigh of relief as she helped Knuckles up off the floor.
"Well that was close," Rouge said.
"Yea, that was close," Knuckles said, "That was some quick thinking."
"Thanks Knuckles," Rouge said with a smile. "I'll go get you some food, you stay up here."
"Alright," Knuckles answered as he sat down and waited for his meal.
Rouge walked downstairs to the dining table where her father and mother were waiting.
"I'm so hungry this morning mommy," Rouge said.
"Well take as much as you want dear, there's plenty," Rouge's mother said.
Rouge then got a plate and placed big portions of her breakfast on it. Both of Rouge's parents looked at her.
"Well I guess you're very hungry this morning ain't ya?" Rouge's father said.
"Yes sir I am," Rouge said getting some more food. "Umm, is it ok if I can eat this in my room?"
"I don't know honey. Will you make a mess?" Rouge's mother asked.
"No mommy, I won't."
"Well, alright Rouge. Just promise me you won't make a mess," Rouge's father said.
"Alright. Thanks," Rouge said as she took the plate up to her room. As soon as she entered in the door, Knuckles' stomach roared with excitement.
"Here you go Knuckles," Rouge said as she put the plate in front of him.
"Wow this looks great, but aren't you gonna eat Rouge?" Knuckles asked.
"Yea I'll just get a little off you plate," Rouge said as she got a slice of toast and a sausage. "There ya go, Knuckles. You can eat now."
As soon as she said that, Knuckles got right into it and began eating. He ate everything on that plate and didn't even leave any traces behind that there was food on that plate. Rouge looked onto Knuckles with a little smile on her face as she ate her food. After that big meal, Knuckles laid back and relaxed.
"Wow you're right, that food your mom made is good," Knuckles said.
"Yep, she's the best. You never had anything cooked so good?" Rouge asked.
"Well usually my mom doesn't cook since there would be caterers doing all of the cooking," Knuckles answered.
"Wow, that's neat," Rouge said as she finished off her little breakfast. "I didn't know that you had caterers cooking for you."
"Well yea, since you..."
Before Knuckles finished his sentence Rouge's mother yelled out to her child.
"Rouge, the bus will be here in 5 minutes! You gotta go!"
"Ok momma!" Rouge said as she grabbed the plate and headed towards the door.
"Hey I'll see you later Knuckles, I gotta go to school," Rouge said looking back.
Knuckles got up off the floor and smiled.
"Ok Rouge I'll see you later. Wait a second."
"What is it Knuckles?" Rouge answered as she was about to exit.
"Umm, why did you kiss me when your mom was in the room?" Knuckles asked.
"Well for one thing, I had to show mom that you're nothing but a toy. And the second thing..."
"What second thing?" Knuckles asked.
"Well the second thing is," Rouge said blushing, "Well, that you're kinda cute and I couldn't help it."
She gave a little wink and made Knuckles blush a bit. She waved at him before heading downstairs.
"I'll see you tonight Knuckles."
"Yea, I'll see you later too, Rouge."
As Rouge disappeared down the stairwell, Knuckles then went to the window and jumped out into the open air.
From Moegedow:
Well damn, I know that you've been waiting a long time for that damn chapter. There was a good reason why this was late and that reason is summed up in two words, and no it's not "I'm lazy", "It's college", or its "You're a lazy bastard!" (Wait that's four words) Well it's because of a "computer crash". Yea I was just about to update a long while back until my computer crashed. It took me a hell of a long time to recover the lost data and to get another computer. I finally got this story finished and I promise that I'll get back to finishing this fic. I won't leave any of ya'll hanging anymore. Chapter 9 will be done and presented to ya'll so stay posted. If you want to chat with me, cuss me out, or something of the like you can reach me by instant messaging. My AIM is bigmoew1205 and my Yahoo IM is bigmoew03. Well I'll be seeing you again, so peace.
Moegedow