If you liked A Love of Two Hedgehogs, you should like this story. Though it's Rouge/Knux, it basically follows the same principal as Two Hedgies. Hope you like it. There should be a line when I'm changing narrators (knuckles or rouge, in case you won't be able to tell). Ok, on with the fic! Wow...been a while since I've posted stuff here on FFN...been busy with my Deviantart account...(shameless plug #1-get the URL from my FFN bio)

ALL THAT GLITTERS

I am Knuckles the Echidna; strong, powerful, confident, stubborn, independent, loyal, sworn protector of the Master Emerald, and in love. But I mustn't let such an emotion faze my thoughts. I have a mission as guardian of the Master Emerald—the magical power that keeps Angel Island afloat. Angel Island—home to so many, including myself. People believe that I'm the only echidna left. That's not true. But without me, there will be none left. Should I get distracted and stray from my duties as guardian, Angel Island will plummet and it will be the end of the echidna race as we echidnas know it.

I am Rouge the Bat, master jewel thief and esteemed agent for the president. Or, at least I was. I was fired a week ago when I was caught "disobeying direct orders". I had been told to confiscate jewels from the culprit in a robbery. I did, but as a reward for myself, I took one. One. There were at least a hundred tiny beautiful gems, and I took one. The president fired me for one little slip-up. The bastard.

With my spare time, I've been soaring the country, looking for something to interest me. It seemed easier said than done. But then, I hit the jackpot when I found a strange floating island above the sea. After an aerial analysis of the island, I found a most wondrous treasure—a huge, and I mean HUGE jewel. But when I saw it, it looked familiar—I had definitely seen it before. Did it matter? I swooped down to find a way to snatch it.

No sooner had I landed and started to ogle it did someone leap out from behind me and tackle me to the ground. I spread my wings to throw them off of me, but they held on tight. I yelled and fought them, but it was no use.

I struggled to hold the rat down, but she was a fighter. As she started to yell unspeakable insults at me, I slowly loosened my grip on her. I recognized the voice. I let go, and she crawled out from under me and jumped to a defensive stance. It was then that she realized who I was.

"Knuckles? What are you doing here?" she seemed totally flabbergasted.

I stood up and scowled at her. "I'm guardian of the Master Emerald. I'm supposed to protect it from thieves like you." I was probably being too harsh for someone I was once closer with, but who knew if she had changed in that time?

"I wasn't stealing it. Not yet, anyway," she relished with a smirk.

"Rouge, get out of here before I have to call the villagers."

"You mean there are actually people that live on this island?"

"Echidnas, actually."

"Whatever. Do they have anything worth letting me get my hands on?"

I was at my temper's end. "Rouge! I mean it! Get out of here, now!"

She gave me a hurt look, truly hurt this time. She didn't seem to be putting on of her sarcastic fake faces. Then she went snippy again. "Fine then. Be that way." She took to the air in a huff. Why and how did I love her?

That stupid echidna was too serious for my type. Why did he attract me? We were so different. I love having fun—I'm greedy and a risk-taker. He's a generous, analytical hard-worker. I could see that if we had children, heaven forbid, we would both want to raise them a totally different way. He would want them to be proper and friendly with all the other little children. I wouldn't really care, so long as they did something nice for others every once in a while and weren't too much trouble.

I'll ignore him. It was my love of something that got me fired from my perfect job in the first place.

The next day, I began to doze off a little as I sat guarding the Master Emerald. Things had gone slow that morning. Until I heard a rustle in the bushes, that was. I rose to my feet like a shot and looked around, circling the huge Emerald to spot a potential offender. As I fixed my gaze on a particular spot in the bushes, a familiar figure strolled out. I relaxed a little when I saw it was Rouge.

"What do you want, now?" I sighed, letting my heavy fists drop to my side.

She glanced up to me ruefully, and appeared sullen even when she had first emerged from the bushes. "Knuckles..." She kept her distance from me, clasping her hands at her chest in uneasiness. "I came to apologize for yesterday. Perhaps that rendezvous wasn't in the best of tones...I just...I don't know how to really say this, but...I love you, Knuckles."

That must've been a shocker. Well, not from me, really, but I'll bet he wasn't expecting me to be so upfront about it. I loved watching his reaction, and it was hard to keep myself from smirking in the success of my plan. That emerald would be mine.

To let him wallow in the thought, I took to the air in a hurry. "Knuckles, I'll be around the island if you want to find me," I called before taking off as he was about to reply. Perfect.

I found a clear edge on the island to await his arrival. I dangled my legs over the edge of the island and glanced down through the clouds—we were that high up. Kind of scary, I thought. Wonder if it would be less scary if I had someone here with me?

Dammit! Why did she have to fulfil it?! Geez, I hate her! I wouldn't be able to do my job with her toying with me like that! I had to make a choice, and I had to make it fast. This job wasn't for me, though. I was going crazy sitting around all day doing nothing, pretty much. Perhaps no one would notice if I left for a little while...

I took the rest of the afternoon to think about it, and then slept on it that night. In the morning, I had made my decision. I would take a gift for Rouge. It would be small and I wouldn't be long. None of the villagers would miss me. I hoped. After all, Rouge loved me, I loved her. Although I didn't want to succumb to it, there was no point fighting the wills of nature.

But if I was going to bring Rouge a gift, what would I bring her? Food? Flowers? Jewellery. She loved gems and all that. But, where would I get the priceless items from? I had overlooked a valuable source sitting right before my eyes. My gaze fell upon the Master Emerald...

By the next morning, Knuckles still hadn't come. I had fallen asleep at the edge of the island, though it had been a stupid idea. I was beginning to think that he wouldn't come, but then I heard the pat of two feet on hard soil behind me. I turned to see that Knuckles had landed in the brush behind me, and he was glaring back at me.

I leapt to my feet promptly. "Well, nice to see you, Knuckles."

He strode up to me, bravely, and as he reached me he just closed his eyes and nodded.

This left me perplexed. "You sure took your sweet time."

"I have something for you, Rouge," he started. My heart soared. I was killing two birds with one stone! "I wanted to give you something special," he continued. "This is to represent my mutual feelings for you." With that, he pulled something out of his glove.

I gasped. It was beautiful. It was dazzling. It was more than I had bargained for. It was a huge green jewel attached to a scintillating gold chain. He really was falling for me. Or my trap, at least. I was at a loss for words. He reached around my neck and did the clasp for me. Having his arms around me lifted my spirit...

I stayed with Rouge for the rest of the day, having lost track of time. I didn't feel hungry at lunchtime, I didn't feel myself getting tired as sunset came on. It wasn't until sunset that I noticed that time was actually passing as it was getting dark. Rouge and I said our goodbyes and I returned to my post, praying that the emerald was still there without a welcoming committee.

I was relieved to see the emerald in perfect condition, except for my little extraction, and no one there to scold me for leaving. I slept with contented thoughts that night, and the next morning, I decided to bring another gift for my new-found love. Using the spike on my knuckle, I scraped off a bunch of little gems to make a pair of earrings. I knew she would love them as I landed behind her once more.

As if the necklace wasn't enough, he brought me a pair of earrings as well! I had hit jackpot with Knuckles, and I almost felt sorry for toying with him like this. Somehow, it wasn't so much toying anymore. I was actually enjoying my time with him, and not just goading him into trusting me until the time was right. The day after, he brought me a bracelet, and the day after that, he finally brought me a huge gem all in itself. It had to be bigger than my fist.

By then I realized that this was no longer a game for me. This love was as real as night and day. It was impossible to label as anything else. Yet, somehow, these green gems that he was bringing me seemed oddly familiar...Like I had seen them someplace before...someplace important...

That night as I returned to my guarding of the Master Emerald, I found that my well had run dry. In the moonlight stood another echidna, arms folded and with only the silhouette visible. Daring, I stepped closer to see their face. A villager. As he saw me appear, he tapped his foot and cleared his throat.

"Knuckles." Was all he growled.

I gulped. "Yes, Remington?" I tried to act nonchalant, like Sonic. He always got out of situations like this with such charm. "What can I do for you this fine night?"

He scowled murderously at me. "Don't think I don't know what you've been up to."

"And what would that be?"

"Theft from the echidna tribe, negligence of duty, and being a complete cheapskate."

I didn't have Sonic's charm. How I hated that guy. I slipped into a defensive anger. "Yeah? So I'm still guardian of the emerald. Whatcha gonna do about it?"

He stood up straight and a grin crossed his features, sending shivers down my spine. "Well, there isn't much I can do about it, that's true, but there is a lot Chief Pachamac the Third can do." He stepped aside, and from behind the Master Emerald stepped Chief Pachamac. Stick a fork in me, I was done.

I threw myself down on my knees before my chief. "Chief Pachamac, I humbly apologize for all I have done to wrong the echidna tribe..." I began, now fully sorry. I would probably lose my job now. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.

He tapped his staff on the ground twice, narrowly missing my head. "Knuckles the Echidna, you have wronged the echidna tribe through theft, negligence, and fraternization with an outer contact. I trusted you as guardian of the Master Emerald, the life force of Angel Island. I presume, now, that I had been wrong in doing so. I trusted you, but I fear that transgressors must be punished. Knuckles the Echidna, as Chieftain of the Angel Island Echidna Tribe, I hereby sentence you to be removed from you position as Guardian of the Master Emerald and exile you from the tribe."

My head shot up and glared into the eyes of the huge chief. I swallowed hard. I bowed my head again, letting my dreadlocks fall from my shoulders. "Yes, sir..."

"Don't 'yes, sir' me. I don't want to see your face ever again. Get out of here. If I catch you anywhere near my tribe, I shall send the hunters after you so that they can bring your head back on a stick."

He raised his staff and brought it down hard on my head. It felt as if my brain was bouncing around my skull and it made me nauseous. What was I to do? I got up and took a few steps backward, glowering back at Remington and Pachamac. I finally turned as I heard Remington snicker and Pachamac sigh. It all disappeared as I entered the thick underbrush of the forest.

Knuckles and I left Angel Island the next day. He asked for the jewellery back, though. It was a pity, but having him at my side, I didn't mind anymore. He didn't tell me why we were leaving the island so suddenly and when I asked him about his duty as guardian of the Master Emerald, he wouldn't reply. Perhaps one day he'll enlighten me.

I love gems. I love the way they sparkle. I love anything that sparkles, for that matter. Like gold, silver, and other things like that. But in the past few days, I've found that sometimes the things that glitter aren't gold, silver, or even gems. Unfortunately. Because what it glittering the most in my life right now is the love between Knuckles and I.

Even though I've been banished from what I grew up with, I'll cope. I know I will. Having Rouge at my side will be a big help. Though I'll miss my family and friends, there isn't much I can do about them now. My tribe has rejected me, but she accepts me. She shines like the Master Emerald. And I hope my love is there for her for the rest of our life. We'll treasure our love; because it is gold in disguise.

:D Kinda cheesy...ah well...as always, tell me what you think, fans! I should do some concept for this...and post it on Deviantart...(shameless plug #2)