K here's the next chapter I hope you like it, and sorry it took so long to get up.
Chapter 7: Fanatical Flames
Knuckles at last reached the burning part of the island it wasn't to big but he knew he'd have to work fast to put it out. He watched the fire burn for a moment trying to think of away to quickly put it out. Knuckles eyes widen as an idea came to mind he pulled out his shovel claws and put them on then he ran out into the middle of the burning woods and started digging and as he dug he took the dirt and threw all over the fire suffocating it and causing it to go out. Knuckles continued his work and was putting out the fire at a decent rate.
Rouge had tossed and turned in her sleep her security had suddenly vanished and she had once again awoken. She sat up still feeling tired and then she noticed that Knuckles was no where in sight; when she caught wind of the smoke she knew exactly where to find him she got to her feet and quickly took to the air towards the fire. "Stupid echidna why didn't he ask me to help?" She flew swiftly in the flames direction.
Knuckles had of course been hard at work trying to put out the fire he was almost done he only had a little more to go but what he had left to put out was the hardest part. It was an extremely tight fit to where he would have to get to be able to put the fire out the correct way without causing it starting spreading again. Knuckles ventured into the heart of the fire covered land. Knuckles finally reached a spot where he figured he'd be able to douse the fire. Knuckles began digging again and throwing the dirt on the fire. When Knuckles had finally come close to having the fire out something happened, as he was climbing out of the hole he had just dug when he was harshly knocked to the ground. Knuckles yelled out in pain a big burning branch had fallen on his back. Knuckles tried with all his might to get it off the sting of the fire was touchier and it only continued; the branch was heavy and Knuckles couldn't get a grip on the branch from all the pain it sent into his hands every time he tried to lift it and the curve of this shovel claws wouldn't allow him to hold the branch for very long either. Finally Knuckles thought he was going to be killed right then and there. "I never thought this was how I'd die." He closed his eyes as he felt the pain of the burning fire. "I just want the pain to stop." Knuckles eyes slowly closed he went unconscious due to the build up of the pain and stress.
Rouge was still looking for Knuckles when she noticed she was flying over an area of fire that wasn't extinguished. She flew downward her eyes began to sting from the smoke and she coughed a lot. Rouge put a hand over the top of her eyes and looked through the fire trying to find Knuckles. "Where is he?" Rouge went lower and this time landed in the middle of the burning of the wood. "Knuckles where are you!" She did a full turn and when she finished something caught her eye, it was something glimmering in the light of the fire. She instinctively ran toward it, she stopped at a short distance and then slowly began to come closer. When she could see it clearly she saw that it was Knuckles shovel claws she then saw the guardian who was being burnt alive under the flaming tree limb. "Knuckles!" In one quick movement she was at his side. She looked the situation up and down. "Don't worry Knuckles I'll get you out of this." Rouge stood up again and took a few steps back. "I have to position this just right." Rouge took her aim and ran forward she did a fast turn and kicked the burning branch off of Knuckles. When she had finished the move she knelt down beside the guardian. She was so tired she felt as if she might not be able to go on, but she pushed herself to do so anyway. She picked Knuckles up on her back and began to run out of the fire. It was hot and the smoke stung her eyes and made her choke, she wouldn't stop though she knew she had to save him she just had to he was her life now, her reason for living her purpose even though she wasn't quite sure of it yet that's what she believed. Rouge finally she reached a safe spot where she could put the guardian down. She was just a few yards from the edge of the burning wood in a green meadow. She gently laid Knuckles down on his side. She was very tired but she knew she had one last duty she needed to perform. Rouge put her hand to Knuckles forehead he was cooling down now and he was breathing. She looked around quickly. "There's gotta be some of that stuff around here somewhere!" Rouge finally spotted what she was looking for, there was a small plant growing at the base of tree. She quickly ran to the plant and picked off a few of its leaves. Rouge may have been swayed by her attraction for Knuckles but she did at least try to pay attention when he was talking to her instead of day dreaming about something else she'd rather be doing with the guardian. Rouge remembered there was a plant that he had once shown her its Aloe could relieve the pain of burns and would help the wound heal. She had returned to Knuckles side and was applying the gel like substance to the echidna's burns. When she finished she rose to her feet and turned back in the direction of the burning forest and began to run towards it. "I gotta be crazy!" Rouge yelled to herself as she ran. She knew she was getting closer to the burning area because she could feel the heat growing and she was picking up the smokes sent. Soon Rouge was face to face with the heart of the fire. "Well if Knuckles got this thing under control by throwing dirt on it I bet I can put it out the same way." Rouge flapped her wings she was so tired but she pressed on heading upward. Finally when she could no longer force herself to go any higher she began making some educated estimates about her perception of hitting the target just right. When she was through she let her body begin to fall as she did she began to spin her body and in a second she was in formation for a perfect screw kick. She continued to hold the screw quick and it was growing stronger and stronger as she grew closer to the ground. The impact was only moments away when Rouge pushed all of her weight in for the kick and her measurements had been perfect. Rouge hit the ground and when she did a huge explosion occurred and dirt when everywhere she had put out the rest of the fire in a single move. The dust from the attack cleared and Rouge could be seen standing in the middle of the huge crater created by the impact. She slowly pulled herself out of it. "Crap that hurt." She weakly spread her wings and took to the air she was hardly above the trees; she was under such painful stress she didn't know if she would be able to make it. Her cuts and burses were throbbing and her vision was starting to get a bit blurry from all the anxiety she was just able to recognize the area where she had left Knuckles. Rouge couldn't hold flight any longer she began to fall right out of the sky and she hit the ground hard landing face first in the dirt. "ummm…" She moaned with a tone that screamed out pain. She pushed herself up once more all thought every cell and fibber of her body advised against it. She looked around and finally spotting Knuckles who was still out cold on the ground right where she had left him. Rouge stumbled toward him still worried if he would be alright. She reached her arm out toward him as she tried to move. She was coming closer but with every step she took to get to the guardian came a huge amount of insufferable touchier that hit her body with agonizing force. "Knuckles are you…" Rouge's words were soft and in a quiet whisper that was barely hearable. When finally her body would not allow her to make one more move she collapsed next Knuckles. She turned her head slightly so she could see his face she was so close to Knuckles she could see him breathing. Rouge's eyes were so heavy with exhaustion that she couldn't hold them open any longer. She slowly began to let them close as she took in her last envision of the protector. The huntress and the guardian lay there together for the rest of the night.