Chapter 5

"Come on Shadow your slowing everything up."

Shadow raced after Maria placing her cards on top of every gift. Dodging equipment Maria ran through the Ark delivering her surprises seven minutes before the first research shift started. Not a single person was missed. Maria even got small treats and candies for the other experiments aboard the Ark.

"Here you go Standards." Maria placed an extra helping of food to the lizards under testing, and a special treat to the Komodo Dragon. Maria felt its testing was more severe then the other experiments in the standard reptile section. From there Maria ran to the mammals that were examined for Project Shadow.

Shadow felt a bit uneasy following Maria here, but pushed the felling aside to please his only friend. Younger animals were given toys and candies of some kind, and the elders were feed bigger servings of daily meals.

"Merry Christmas all." The girl smiled warmly as the creatures indulged in their delights. Being caught up in the excitement of it all, Maria almost missed Shadow's expression. He seemed resentful.

"Is something wrong Shadow?"

"Huh, no."

"Are you mad at something?"

"Is that a surprise?"

Maria gave a soft laugh to Shadow's response. Shadow was often bothered by something, or at least looked mad.

"Try to cheer up Shadow, it's Christmas." Maria began pulling on Shadow's cheeks to make a smile. The black hedgehog only swatted her hands away. "Come on." The girl placed her hands on her hips.

"I don't understand why Christmas is this important to you." Shadow sighed turning from Maria's gaze.

"Sounds to me like you need to read Matthew again."

"Hmm."

"That's what we'll do tonight." Maria reached into the bag she had been carrying with the gifts. She pulled out Shadow's present and held it out next to his ear. Upon seeing the box intended for him, a small grin appeared on Shadow's face. "I was going to save your gift til last, but I don't see any harm in giving it to you now."

Shadow received the box from her hand and gave it a once over. Giving Maria one last glance, the dark hedgehog opened his gift. "They're home-made chocolates, my grandfather helped me make them."

The smile Shadow had been holding was slowly fading. He knew Maria's cooking.

"Thanks." His less than enthusiastic voice gave his inner thoughts away.

"It's not going to be that bad." Shadow didn't respond. "Come on we have to hurry and deliver the rest of the presents before everyone wakes up." Maria left the room for her final stop, Micah's desk. Shadow lingered in the room a bit longer. He looked at the other experiments that lead up to his creation. To some extent he felt he owed them.

"Merry Christmas" His words were slow and foreign to his tongue. Shadow quickly emptied the chocolates into his hand. Racing around the room he left a sweet morsel for each mammal that could eat them.

Their eyes met for a moment.

After delivering his gifts, Shadow left the room to catch up with Maria. The room was still and roughly silent. In less then a hour the painful experiments would start again, and Christmas would be over.

Shadow found himself on the balcony of Amy Rose for the second time that week. After having breakfast with Rouge, he had allowed himself to be talked into visiting Amy again. The only problem was now that he was here, he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to go to the front door, he wouldn't know how to act. Not that it mattered...

Why he felt this way about Amy was beyond him. After recalling Vanilla's words and having Rouge coax him into admitting he liked Amy over most other company, Shadow began to find some form of enjoyment in the mere thought of Amy.

She understood him, and despite past shortcomings she accepted him as a 'friend.' He didn't love her or anything of that nature, he just...felt close to her. He had watched her for two days through the double glass doors. He saw the pain and unadulterate anguish. Comparing Amy's feelings to his own tormented past made him sympathize with her. It felt good to know someone felt the way he did. Of course he didn't wish this upon her or anyone, but it still felt good.

Remaining out of view, Shadow watched Amy enter her living room and then hurry back to her bedroom. Spying on her sent a quick guilty burn over his body, but he couldn't draw himself away. He needed to think of something. He couldn't sit here and observe her like this, yet he pushed aside the idea of confronting her without reason. What was he doing there? His whole involvement with Amy was ill-sorted.

Amy had spent the afternoon at the park looking for Shadow until Vanilla told her he had left. A tad upset he would leave without as much as a good bye, Amy headed home, alone. She had enjoyed the day with Cream and her mother, but it had ended too soon. The laughter and skating was like a flicker in time in measurement to the hours she spent crying for Sonic. She refused to think he was dead.

Amy was cleaning up her apartment. Putting away Christmas decorations and removing ribbons and bows. The holiday rush was over and a new year would soon begin. Her first new year without Sonic since she's come to know him.

A sigh escaped her lips. Amy went to her room and dragged a large box from her closet to the living room. Amy then pulled several smaller boxes from inside it. Amy filled the smaller boxes with the ornaments from the tree and stacked them neatly in the larger package. Finishing this task, Amy gazed upon her bear tree. Its shine and wonder had faded. It was only the dying limbs of a once great pine. It resembled her hope. She was losing it. She didn't want to admit it, but she was losing hope.

But Sonic couldn't be dead. She can't lose hope. He would return someday...someday...what day?

Amy clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, held her tears. Anger and sadness fought a war in her mind; both wanting to get out of her. Take back what was their's.

"SONIKKU!"

Amy's knees gave out. She fell to the ground placing her hands on the floor to steady herself. Amy allowed the tears to flow as she wept bitterly.

"I won't lose hope," Amy promised between sobs. "Sonic I...I can't lose..." Her tears drowned out her words and Amy continued to cry.

By this time Shadow had entered the apartment. He was standing behind Amy and hadn't been noticed yet. He closed his eyes and stood silently by, all thoughts on Maria.

It was early morning on his island and Knuckles had spend the night awake worrying and fretting about Rouge's words, Ryuu's plans, Sonic's death, and just about anything else. Knuckles dangled his legs over the edge of the alter to watch the sun rise east of his position.

"Life sucks." The guardian closed his eyes and allowed the thoughts to come to him. He didn't stop them; didn't try to push them from his mind. He let himself think what may and feel it.

He had wasted his life. Hardly anyone came for his emerald, and when they had Knuckles could count on Sonic and the others to help him get it back.

Tell the truth, for the past couple of adventures, Knuckles had left the Master Emerald behind. He was caught up in the thrill of a chase, or the pride of a moment. For the first time in a long time he was included in something. Something other than this. A 7 mohs ball and chain.

Knuckles had spent his whole life watching after this rock. He never had the friends and things that he was now experiencing, but with Sonic gone...

There was no guarantee that, if Eggman attacked again, the day would be saved. Sonic, the hero, was dead. Ryuu would one day attack again, and where would that leave everyone. The emerald needed him now more than ever; he had to protect it.

Knuckles raised a fist in the air and lifted his eyes toward the heavens. He would now pledge to stay with the Master Emerald, guard it with his life and give up all he had to defend it.

"I will defend you..." The vigor died. His statement seemed false; his desires changed. What did he want? What does Knuckles the Echidna want! 'He' wanted to turn, and with all his might, smash that stupid rock into unfixable pieces. He wanted to take all the years of frustration, anger, hurt... loneliness, and he wanted to make it pay.

Knuckles redirected his clenched fist at the Master Emerald. A new energy in him...

Before Knuckles could proceed to performing any course of action, a sharp gripping pain took hold of the echidna's side. The bruise from Ryuu's syringe. Knuckles' clenched hand drew in to cover the affected area as a small moan escaped his lips. Doubled over in pain, Knuckles could only open one eye to glare back at the mystic stone.

He wouldn't of done it. Even if he wasn't hurt, he never could betray his people like that. Knuckles well understood his duty as guardian. It was his destiny...his cruse...to watch the Master Emerald. He had to. He just had to.

Rouge had arrived at the island as morning was braking in. The bat quickly removed her sweater upon her arrival and embraced the tropical surroundings the island had to offer.

"Got to hand it to you Knuckles, you sure can pick good real-estate." Rouge discarded her coverings on a modest bush near by, then stretched her legs a bit before heading for the alter. She knew she wouldn't have to go far; Knuckles would soon be running at her calling her an intruder and menace to society. A smirk crossed Rouge's face. Knuckles was a bit high strung. Always worrying about things that will never happen. The young woman chuckled thinking about him. He was someone she could always laugh at. I'm not suppose to be thinking this way.

Rouge shock the thoughts out of her head. She needed to focus if she wanted to get her feelings out on the table.

"The only way to prove you love someone is to treat them with love."

Rouge never thought of Shadow as too bright, but at times he made a whole lot of sense. "All he sees in you is a rival and maybe nonsense. Show him something worth liking back and that cares about him. And don't leave on a business trip."

"What does that have to do with Knuckles?"

"Everything."

Yeah, those words, they didn't make sense, but the loving selflessly did.

"Loving someone isn't for getting, it's for giving of yourself for someone else. I think I got it." Rouge said to herself. She could admit she had been a little demanding in this relationship. Just a little. She wasn't fully aware of Knuckles' ideals, but that was going to change. Today she was going to get everything off her chest, figure out Knuckles feelings for her, and have time left to hunt the remaining four chaos emeralds. Or maybe get to know him better.

While still walking Rouge began to feel troubled. Not a sick feeling, but one of anxiety. Something was wrong, and it was close. This is when the bat took notice that the birds and bugs around her had become unnaturally silent.

Rouge checked over her shoulder before picking up her pace for the alter. She didn't like surprises, and this was turning out to be one. Somehow she just knew something was about to happen and she didn't want to be taken by storm.

"Aren't we in a hurry."

Rouge stopped. That voice. Oh please don't let it be.

The sound seemed to have come from behind her, but Rouge didn't want to face him alone. Rouge was off the ground in flight in a matter of seconds only to have a cutting electrical shock pulse through her body. Pained, Rouge fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Electrical field. Pretty old technology, but good enough to catch you."

Rouge could only wince in pain as she tried to look up at her attacker, Ryuu, without seeing his face, she knew it was him. "And such a pretty thing you are too. Going to see the guardian I presume." The hedgehog knelt down to his victim. "That's good. Very good. I'm sure he's looking forward to seeing you too."

Ryuu stood up and straightened his trench coat. He also brushed the dirt from the tail of it before waving two robots over. Ryuu considered himself a dignified hedgehog and a hegdie of style. It was now time to show his best qualities, and he knew just where to do it. "Tie her up and follow me. And remember, bats like to hang upside down."

Ryuu filled every sentence he spoke with some degree of dramatic effect. It seemed he had structured them like lines in a play. He was enjoying every minuet aspect of his plan as Rouge was being dragged by her feet across the island. The ropes around her chafed while the blood supply to her ankles was cut off by the robots hold on her. Adding to her existing pain, the fact that her head was banging against rocks and gravel didn't help. To top off this morning, Rouge still couldn't see Ryuu or even the machines holding on to her.

After what seemed like hours to Rouge, the robots stopped and Ryuu could be heard leaving. Rouge forced an eye open. Ryuu had taken her near the altar. He was planning some kind of attack on the Master Emerald!

The guardian was carrying out his daily routine watching over the emerald. He hadn't done much since his soul searching that morning. Pacing around the altar seemed to help relax him. Still, Knuckles couldn't help but feel something was amiss.

Knuckles stopped walking at the steps of the altar. Looking up at the gem once, then back out to the trees at the end of the clearing, the sense that someone was on the island began to peek. Could it be Rouge again?

Knuckles clenched his fists. It wouldn't be. Usually if she visited, and a decently hostile argument broke out between them, she would stay away for an extended period of time. Probably trying to make him feel bad. No this wasn't her...

Pain

Knuckles' side seemed to swell up in pain. Never had it felt like this before; he hadn't even done anything to hurt himself.

Depraved laughter was now coming from the top of the altar. Knuckles turned as best he could to see his mocker. Ryuu! And next to his Emerald!

"My dear boy, could you give me a run for my money!" The dark hedgehog smiled down at the anguished echidna. "I mean, surly you're not going to let me take your gem without a fight are you?"

Hurt or not, Knuckles wasn't going to let Ryuu escape him this time. He would kill him for Sonic, for Mobius, For Revenge.

The pain coursing through his body did nothing to slow Knuckles down. He was at the top of the altar before Ryuu could even strike a pose of defense. The echidna's first blow was with his dominate fist. A hit into Ryuu's gut toppling the hedgehog to the ground. Knuckles leaped from the Master Emerald's resting place down beside Ryuu.

"You're tougher than I first antici..."

Knuckles didn't wait for the cretin to finish his sentence before he grabbed Ryuu by the neck. Suspending the hedgehog Knuckles fought back the urge to snap Ryuu's neck.

"I'm gonna make you pay. What I'm going to do to you is so curl," Knuckles tightened his grip. "I can't even form it into words."

Never had Knuckles felt this way, he had never been so angry in his life. It seemed like his teeth would crack under the stress at which he grit them. He was going to avenge Sonic now.

Pain

His Side! Knuckles dropped a now smiling Ryuu. Again Knuckles found himself in a weak position gripping the wound this hedgehog had given him.

After a light cough Ryuu, shaking, got to his feet.

"Micro-chip. Imitates nerve signals. I can increase your pain at any moment."

I'm gonna kill you. I'm not gonna die trying, not over my dead body. "I'm Going To Kill You!"

The pain was pushed aside as the afflicted echidna rose to meet his challenger. Knuckles charged a very surprised Ryuu. Knuckles narrowly missed Ryuu's stomach because of a side step.

"I see I have seriously underestimated you." Ryuu jumped a swift kick from his competitor only to receive a punch to the right cheek. Also a knock down flat on his back.

Ryuu was now beginning to match Knuckles in anger; it was time to quit playing around. As Knuckles loomed over Ryuu, the dark hedgehog crossed his fist over his chest and made a sweeping motion at Knuckles. An invisible force, much like strong winds, throw Knuckles back against the altar base.

"Come on Guardian, lets fight."

Before Knuckles could raise himself, Ryuu was standing over him delivering several kicks. Striking back Knuckles twisted his leg over as far as possible booting Ryuu's feet from under him. The hedgehog fell to the ground, but Knuckles' little victory was rewarded with only an increasing pain in the side.

Knuckles laid quivering. The pain was paralyzing and it took all of the guardian's strength not to cry out. He couldn't let Ryuu win. He had to fight, he had to...

Ryuu got to his feet and grinned down at his victim. The joy in Ryuu's eyes was just a glimpse in to the sick mind standing over Knuckles.

"I brought you down and I didn't even need plan B. Ha, some guardian you are." Ryuu didn't seem fazed by the battle at all.

...stop Ryuu no matter the cost. At the expense of his life, Ryuu would meet his match and fail.

Knuckles struggled to one knee before addressing Ryuu.

"I'm gonna kill you," Those words were hard to understand through clenched teeth. "I don't care what I must do."

"We can't have that happen." The nighted hedgehog climbed the steps of the altar to the Master Emerald. Placing a hand on the smooth surface of the stone, Ryuu looked back at Knuckles. "I need you to run the emerald."

Ryuu's plan was coming along nicely. He had managed to defeat Sonic after years of strategic plotting, waiting for the perfect weather conditions, and a chance to get the group of fighters together. Ryuu had all but three chaos emeralds, which were in Shadow's hands were they needed to be. It was the days after Christmas, the time he wished to grant himself this 'wish.'

"Soon I'll bring this planet to submission. And with your help, it will make the job all the easier."

"I'm not going to work for you. And You're Not Taking The Master Emerald!"

"To late you fool. Has it not occurred to you that I have brought you to your knees. I've won. Not only this, but I've won in all. ME!"

"No!" In one last attempt, Knuckles removed himself from his pain and ran toward Ryuu. The hedgehog slipped his hand into his pocket to raise the signals of pain, but Knuckles didn't stop. Ryuu jumped from the altar to avoid a coalition.

"I guess I do need plan B."

The robots that had been holding Rouge now emerged from their hided position, dragging Rouge behind. While Ryuu dogged several more blows from Knuckles, the echidna was slowly taking notice of the movements. Turning to see a tied and gaged bat, Knuckles drew back from the fight a bit.

"See plan B," Ryuu taunted. "I can't kill you Knuckles, but she's fair game if you don't corporate. And so will any one else if you continue to fight me after she's dead."

Knuckles meet Ryuu's eyes to give him his answer. Cold and flat...

"I don't care if you skew her gut across the island, you will not touch the Master Emerald.

I called on my lovers,

But they deceived me;...

...See, O Lord, that I am in

distress;

My soul is troubled;

My heart is overturned within me,...

Laminations

From there everything became a blur for Rouge. Knuckles had...

She never said she loved him, because up until he almost died, she didn't think it was love. She cared deeply for Knuckles and he...cared for his rock. Maybe this was because of the fight they had, he didn't mean what he just said.

Knuckles went on trying to fight Ryuu, but every hit on the hedgehog lead to one of the robots attacking Rouge the same way. If Knuckles tried to prevent one of the machines from hitting her, Ryuu would advance to the Master Emerald. It was like a game to Ryuu, forcing Knuckles to choose at Rouge's expense.

He was only trying to stop Ryuu from getting the emerald. She knew the effects gems had on people. She had spent a life time hunting them down. Treasuring the rarest of gems. The prizes of a life time. Knuckles was, is... could care less what happened to her.

Rouge finally took the last blow her body could handle for the day. Knuckles stopped. He stood between the altar and Rouge's motionless person. Breathing heavily; was there even a choice to be made? He had to protect the Master Emerald, not Rouge. Then why is this such a difficult dilemma.

Also winded from battling, Ryuu watched the internal struggle of Knuckles. A faint smile formed on his face. He had been watching Knuckles for about a month now. Only recently had this weakness of a possible love affaire with the bat came up. For a moment Ryuu didn't think it would work. Knuckles would be unable to let her be killed for the emerald, no matter what. Sure he let her get close, but there was no way he'd continue to beat her like this. Would he?

"She's not dead, yet. Do you give up?"

Knuckles didn't answer; didn't move.

"If you do I'll take you, the emerald, and her to my base to work my plans. Do as I say and she'll live. Fail to and she'll meet a sudden end. Do you give up?"

(A/N) I'm sorry that it took so long to update. Because of this you might want to review old chapters so not to forget anything. And YAY! This is my first 'fight' scene. I've never written anything like this before. Poor Knuckles, poor Rouge. I hope to write more before school starts, but I...didn't finish my summer homework. I don't need lectures I'll get it done. Well, good days,

Platonic

Post script- Lacey you're right. I don't support opposite sex cohabitation. Everyone who is, you're putting yourself in a bad situration. In Sonic Battle I hear Rouge offers Shadow to stay with her for a while. And though Near is not entirely based off the games(Spoiler) I'm trying to use this for the plot of this story.