As Knuckles stirred, he slowly became aware of the lack of light around him. During his sleep, the night had fallen. Knuckles yawned and rolled over to view Rouge, who was still asleep, her mouth hanging open slightly as she breathed. Her chest rising and falling. He smiled, feeling pleased that his virginity was gone, and to someone he really loved. Taking a long sigh he settled down again to sleep, but a strange sensation in his head made him reconsider his action. Suddenly, a dizzy feeling of light headedness passed through him as the blood rushed away from his head . It was so unexpected he found himself collapsing against the wall and bed.
He found himself waking up surrounded by sinister, constricting black clouds, enveloping everything around him. His sight was limited to only a few meters around him, and for a while he heard nothing. Then, a faint explosion was heard in the background, soon followed by others that radiated around his body. He found himself hurtling towards them, running with all the power he had, but the sight that met his eyes made him blink and recoil in shock.
Harsh noises of pain rocked the air around him, as the two creatures, levitating above him like mutilated angels, traded deadly blows. But what surprised him most of all, was the fact that one of the creatures, was himself.
And yet it wasn't him. The echidnas long dreadlocks flew around in the breeze, gracefully twisting around his neck and back, as he shot forward his blasts, powerful spears of light that exploded on contact. The scar that Knuckle possessed running alone the crown of his head was missing, and his eyes were full of life, his muscles bulging in effort as he fought, his elongated, spiny claws slicing the moisture around him. Overall it seemed, that this was the alter ego of Knuckles, what he could have become if every negative thing had been taken out of his life, and if he was allowed to rise to full power, free from the captive grasp of the emerald.
The creature that fought him however, was by no means heavenly. In it's chest, the master emerald was embedded. It sparked and shone with power every time the creature sent forth it's twisting, oozing blast of oil like purple sludge to the alter-Knuckles. The emerald was patterned with crakes, where Knuckles had smashed so many times in his dreams. It's head was like that of chaos, but it's ears held spines and tentacles, leaking out poisoning gas as it swerved. It hollow red eyes seemed to hold no emotion as it tried, without effort it seemed, to wipe-out the struggling echidna. Four arms, all see through with bones and muscles pumping inside, helped it fire it's acid, while it's legs were made up simply of a dissolving cloud of toxic waste. It laughed menacingly and threw open it's mouth, vomiting more of it's evil poison at the alter Knuckles, who vaulted in the air, hovering over it as is swarmed underneath him, lapping up and biting at his ankles. The foul creature with the emerald in it's chest growled and thrashed in beastly frustration and looked like he was getting ready for revenge on the echidna, but then, he spotted Knuckles, and if it was possible, his evil red eyes, got even reader, and his emotionless body language twisted to one of utter hatred.
It swopped down, forgetting about his foe, and knocked Knuckles to the ground with such force, he felt a crack in his ribs and coughed up his own blood. The creature, reeking of toxic oil, opened it's foul mouth, which gurgled with liquid teeth, and bellowed at Knuckles, towering over him as he lay , powerless on the floor.
" HoW dAre You?" It snarled, it's voice echoing around, making it seem like there was a million of him. Knuckles almost spasmed with terror, realising just what this creature was. " GuArDIAN! POllutED YouRSelf In ThAT FiLTHY HoRES JuiceS! Now She carRies YoUR Seed IN her UnDiSSERving womB! No gUaRDian cAN bE a MONgrol! For ThIS! I WILL PUNISH YOU!" It roared, striking Knuckles atop the head and digging in it's foul nails. Knuckles shrieked, terrified, as his minds vision of the master emerald struck him.
His savour, his alter ego, realised that it's mortal counterpoint was in danger, and swopped down, tackling the creature of the guardian, skidding to the ground along with it. While the master emerald was reeling, the higher guardian grabbed onto one of it's wrists, oil pouring onto his gloves and burning them away as he gripped, and with a colossal roar of effort, he seized the creature and threw it through the clouds, the emerald disappearing into the gloomy mist.
" Knuckles" The creature said, it's voice echoed but warm, extending his hand and helping the echidna up. He stared at the mortal and said, with a saddened look on his face " You won't find happiness with this bat, she will bring you nothing but pain, and now, the rules have been broken, and now he is after you, and he will not rest until you have resumed your forgotten duty's and provided it's next guardian, a pure, echidna. There is but one who can stop this creature, but, with the hatred lingering in your heart, you cannot join with them. Only when your eyes have been opened, and you see the world through a clear mind, will you find what I have been showing you" Knuckles other half said, his eyes bearing deep into the echidna, filling him with a calm feeling. One that reassured him.
" Who can help me?" Knuckles asked. His alter ego looked down, his eyes shadowing, his expression darkening.
" I cannot tell you". Knuckles became angered again, and was about to demand why, but a deep roaring that shattered the air cut him of, and the scar free version of him looked panicky. He grabbed Knuckles by the arms, stared into his eyes, and said " Trust me, I know what is best for you". And with that , the echidna growled and threw Knuckles high into the air, the vision around him disappearing.
He shot upright, finding himself once again in Rouges bed. She was still asleep, her mouth still hanging open, as if not a moment had passed while he was in his own head. Knuckles was about to discount all he had seen as a dream, a very realistic, graphic dream, but a dream non-the-less. Then , as if his own body was arguing against him, he twisted round to view Rouge once again, and his ribs shrieked in pain and he noticed a numb feeling in his head was subsiding, revealing a pain there too. He growled and gritted his teeth as he carefully got out of the bed, making his way over to the lipstick stained mirror. A shuffling sound from behind him made him turn around, but it was only Rouge, who twisted round under the covers, finding a better position, and settled down again.
Knuckles ignored this and lowered his head to view the top of it in the mirror. He was alarmed to see long, deep scratches running along the top of his head. He winced as they pounded, wanting attention. With a terrified realisation, he figured out that these scratches were exactly where his minds incarnation of the emerald had dug it's foul claws into him. Panicking, he checked his side, finding a large, ugly purple brooze where he had been pounded by the object he was supposed to be guarding..
Fear filled him as he realised the emeralds true power. It could even strike him in his dreams. What had he done wrong? Yes, he had forsaken his duties, but that had been going on for months now, surely the emerald would have acted before if it was upset? His thoughts turned to his lost virginity, surely the emerald wouldn't care if he was a virgin or not? The words of the ugly creature echoed in his mind ' Now she carries your seed in her undeserving womb'. His thoughts were stopped at this, wondering what the emerald meant by that in it's strange speech.
He shock his head as he thought of it. What did he care if the emerald was angry with him? He had all he needed, and that was that. Satisfied at his decision, Knuckles wondered over to the bed, where Rouge still slumbered. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself, until she awoke.
Letting out a small moan of contentment, Rouge rolled over, getting out of the bed and getting a dressing gown out from her wardrobe, slipping it over her naked body. Knuckles almost let out a moan of disappointment, but his light mood was enough for him to keep his cool. He wondered over, grinning hugely, and when she saw him she smiled. Even though her hair was smudged and damp in places, she still looked as beautiful as she ever did in Knuckles eyes. He reached out with his glove less hands, ready to take Rouge in a warm hug of affection. But as his hands reached their target, a terrifyingly familiar voice rang out in his head
" Touch that hour, and you die". It was the voice of the emerald in his dream, even the varying voice tone was present, making it unbelievably obvious that the emerald was in fact angry with him and it was not his unstable imagination.
Knuckles recoiled away at the sound of it's voice, a sharp pain shooting through where the scratches lined his head. Rouge noticed something was wrong, and she asked in a concerned voice
" What's wrong Knuckles?". The echidna pushed the pain aside and shock his head, walking up and taking Rouge into a hug that was postponed by the emeralds interruption. There was a mild moment of pain, before all was well again. Holding Rouge just like a lover would, Knuckles felt content in her grasp, but then the voice of the emerald rang through his head again, chilling him with fright right down to the core
" I warned you Guardian. Now you'll never have your duty back, and I will punish both you and this vile piece of flesh you hold". Knuckles ignored the emerald silent warning, tightening his grip around Rouge in defiance.
Over the next few weeks however, as Rouge began to grow tired of both Knuckles and Shadow, both relationships began to decline. Although Rouge was now having sex with Shadow, Knuckles had stopped almost all physical contact altogether. It was unknown to Rouge that every time he tried to link with her, in any way, the emeralds voice would vibrate through his mind and cause a searing pain around his guardian ring, as if a reminder at what he had left. Shadow however, wasn't catching the hints that Rouge was going off him, and, after just over three months of dating, he found himself outside of an expensive jeweller, looking for a ring.
In his rational mind, he knew it was stupid. They had only been going out for a little over three months, and that he should wait for at least another three. But he had known her for years, and he had enough of being solitary, he had been for 70 years, and this made him feel like he had to take the chance at happiness and hope for the right answer.
There was no problem finding a ring. Rouge adored emerald green, so when an emerald and diamond encrusted ring caught his attention, it's shimmering green unmissable to the eye, he immediately snapped it up, despite the hefty price tag that came along with it.
Next, he had to work up the courage to offer it to her, knowing perfectly well he was supposed to make it a special night. When he was done booking an expensive dinner at a highly reserved restaurant, he rushed back to his apartment and began to prepare for the best night of his life.
Next he rang Rouge, told her that tonight they were going somewhere ' Special', just in case Rouge had decided to dress in one of her 'Lighter' costumes. Then, he waited, for hours , for Rouge to arrive.
He thought back to Maria, thinking about how she would feel about this. Yet, somehow, in his mind, he saw Maria's disappointment and couldn't get her to appreciate Rouge for how he saw her. He frowned at his doubt, beginning to wonder just what he was getting himself into.
In the restaurant, Rouge was very quite. This only aided his anxiety and doubt and he began to wonder if he had really made the wrong choice. Sure, Rouge was a good friend, a great sex partner, but, was she really going to be a good wife? A thousand questions rushed around in his mind and his heart thundered with panic, knowing that the moment of truth was approaching.
After the meal, throughout which both hedgehog and bat exchanged few words. Shadow led Rouge out into the courtyard of the hotel, finding a secluded spot hidden by finely shaped hedges, their still forms of horses dancing in the wind. The moon was full, the night was silence and everything around them was still with piece. Tonight, nature was on Shadows side and yet, through all his courage, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Rouge watched, her mind seemingly else where, as Shadow struggled with his mouth, not knowing what to say. So, it was a surprise, when Rouge spoke for him.
" Shadow, I don't think I can hide it anymore". Shadow, in his mind wrongly sensing where Rouge was leading him, eagerly burst out
" I know! I can't hide my love anymore Rouge". He placed his hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes, just as all those horribly sappy movies had tutored him to do. Rouge smiled at him and yet, it still seemed as if her mind was elsewhere.
Unfaltered, Shadow continued "I can't live my life without having you by my side. I need you Rouge, everyday I think of you. I know it's early and that perhaps you could find a better man than me. But-" Shadow slowly got down on one knee, producing the small box that he had held in his sweaty hands. With his movement, Rouge realised just what was going on and her heart started rushing with disbelief, her mind questioning and re-questioning what her eyes were telling her. Never, never in all of her relationships, had one man proposed to her. It was a completely different experience, and it scared the soul out of her. For Shadow however, he realised he had just lied, he didn't think about her perhaps as much as he should. But the act was done and he knew he made the right decision when he uttered the every repeated words of
" Rouge, will you marry me?"
Authors notes
Its took a while, I know im sorry. Been very buisy. Keep the reveiws comming!