Knuckles worked hard in his training room, practicing his martial arts daily to warm up. First, he had to find his center, the one location where all his energy was the most concentrated. By that, he meant standing in deathlike silence with his right leg up, and his left leg holding all his weight. With that, he closed his eyes and used his mind to transfer his innermost virility to his heart and knuckles…
Preparing to maintain your guard is an unusual experience. Your state of mind, your train of thought, everything is set to a pause. Suddenly, a thought of calmness and tranquility helped the karma rejuvenate that burst of vigor used usually in 24 hours. That karma, called exhilaration essence, is very valuable whenever self-defense is needed, especially when you battle someone in a duel. The exhilaration essence and Knuckles' energy combined make up the forceful blows he delivers that mirrors Zeus' terrifying electric spears.
Nothing could interrupt the echidna from his ritual needs, because all awareness of surroundings was not relevant.
Creak!
On the other hand, even though his mind frame was hypnotized into a mental therapy, his senses were truly susceptible to even the petty of sounds…
Creak!
"Who's there?"
Knuckles quickly turned around, eyes dilated and highly cognizant of his well- being. Figured.
Nobody hid in his room, so he figured that there could be one other room to look in: the Umbrian Gem Room.
Knuckles quietly crept to the room, slowly as to not sneak up on the intruder. He could see a large shadow approaching the Gem, with a sack behind it and removing the brick ingress with a scalpel and hammer. It clicked to him who that adumbration must be.
'Finally, you came to try to claim your prize, Eggman. You're as good as mine now!', Knuckles exclaimed triumphantly.
As if on cue, charging Knuckles ran towards the supposed Eggman shadow, tumbling headstrong into the person just about to claim the Gem as theirs.
It was a good struggle; a good punch here, a smart kick there. The gem was dropped from the thief's hands and rolled to the floor. Both of them hurriedly reached their hands on the emerald, one hand opposite from each other, clutching the sacred jewel. Knuckles gripped the emerald harder, hoping to grasp it from the wrong hands. He successfully had it in his possession, proud that he conquered the fight. Knuckles stared at the emerald with haughty eyes and pat himself on the back.
Unfortunately, that gullible, hardheaded idiot was pasted by a large stone statue in the face, knocking him out. It wasn't long before waking up that he caught the thief's leg and tripped him over, in the process the emerald escaping the wrong hands again. They wrestled each other quite a while, until Knuckles finally got on top of the opponent. With a signature swing, he was about to smart one unlucky cheek, until he took a closer look at the man…
Wait, it's a woman…
"Oh, is that how you treat a lady? I should've known it would be of your nature to do a thing like this!"
In a flash movement, the woman flipped backwards from under the red protector's enclosure, intentionally hitting poor Knuckles' chin in the painful process. His eyes watered from that excruciating moment, hesitating to look up until later. Before him, a voluptuous white bat glares at him with a seducing smirk. Knuckles grew an expression of annoyance at the sight of her.
"It's you! What are you doing here, Rouge?"
Rouge walked up closer to him, a menacing glint in her eyes.
"Oh, you know…the usual routine of things. Which is snatching the jewel of my dreams, kicking your moronic butt, altogether the old fashioned order of things when I'm off duty?"
"But", Rouge added, "I must daresay that you looked absolutely adorable from underneath." She winked at him. Knuckles, although red around the ears, coughed.
"I know what you're trying to do bat girl, and it's not going to work this time," Knuckles argued.
"And why not? You might as well give it to me to stop all these pillow fights that we keep having every time we meet." Rouge impatiently placed her hands on her hips. Knuckles stormed up to her snow white face, noses almost touching other. His eyes shot threatening icicles at hers, hopefully to chase her out of here with just one glare.
"That Emerald is solely depended on by the whole kingdom, and if it leaves its place, then the country, the family, the entire order of things will fall apart into a fit of chaos and destruction. I thought that was explained to you through your thick and fake head. Plus, it's my job to fend off anybody who tries to take it away, especially psychotic, jewel obsessed bats like you!"
"Oh, cool your karma! I wasn't going to steal your precious stone anyway - not this time. I just wanted to see what you're doing on your time off." She gave off a mischievous smile directed towards the mad Knuckles.
Knuckles, for somehow reason, blushed at this declaration. He never knew that she would… never mind.
During this moment, Prince Shadow suddenly waltzed in.
"Knuckles, I want you to do me a favor. Can you-"
Shadow noticed Rouge, who waved at him in acknowledgement. An idea popped in his head.
"Hey Prince Shadow - long time no see. How's that bothersome fiancée treating you- OH, SHADOW!"
Rouge was bewildered to see that Shadow, without hesitation, slipped on an incandescent golden ring on her finger. It was a splendid thing indeed, with a sunflower sculptured garnet with multicolored emeralds as petals. Rouge didn't know whether to slap him silly or to thank him in gratitude, giddy and jumpy in surprise.
"OH SHADOW! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD GIVE THIS TO ME! EVEN THOUGH IT SLIPS OFF A LITTLE, I'M SURE THAT I WOULD FIX IT TO-"
"It doesn't fit! Why did I bother to fit it on you anyway?" Shadow complained.
Shadow snatched the ring from her finger, and stormed away in a fit, leaving outraged Rouge behind.
"What was that for? I don't care if it doesn't fit me! I liked it anyway…" Rouge said wistfully, missing its glorious shine.
Knuckles laughed at this sudden turn of events, laughing at how she doesn't know what was really going on.
"Rouge, it's a long story…" And he told her the legend of Shadow's mysterious suitor.