Heya readers, sorry for the late upload, I had slight writers block as well as took some time to do some drawing on my DeviantArt page, Dragonheart69, do take a moment to check out my art!

Chapter Seven

In her hut back in Knothole, Rouge awoke to the sun shining through her window, the warm rays beamed onto her face, and she turned away from it slowly opening her eyes until they got used to the brightness.

After a few seconds of blinking and letting herself wake up fully, she got out of bed and went to her washroom to freshen up before dressing herself and stepping out of her hut, the cool morning air caressing her skin and hair.

The white bat sighed and looked around, the village was silent as no-one else was awake, but she knew some of the villagers who did early morning gatherings and fishing such as Big the Cat would be up, and the Night Guards would be returning to sleep and let the day guards take the shift.

Taking a moment to enjoy the quiet, the bat walked down the steps off her hut and walked towards the entrance of the village hoping to look at the horizon beyond the forest.

As she did, a couple of Echidnas walked towards her from the entrance having clocked off the graveyard guard shift.

"Morning." She nodded at them, yet the Echidnas looked away from her without saying a word and kept on walking.

Rouge sighed feeling defeated.

"I try to be nice, but they still ignore me." She thought "I suppose my past and my connections with the Bat Thieves still stir them the wrong way."

She knew the Echidnas distrusted her the most out of all the Knothole residents, since her brethren and them had had a history, both being treasure hunters, and they had a rivalry when it came to finding the treasures and artifacts.

Since the day she had arrived in Knothole they often spoke behind her back and gave her nasty glances, even though Sally ordered them to treat Rouge just like everyone else despite the past, since they had to work together to win the war against Robotnik and his Evil Rule.

Shaking her head, Rouge walked to the entrance and started to make her way to a spot where she liked to go and reflect most mornings and evenings.

She soon reached it.

It was a small hillside just a few yards away from Knothole and she could see the open horizon of the countryside.

It was the parts of Mobius that Robotnik hadn't touched, that was still free from his control, and even though it had been untouched by that evil doctor, there was the fear that he would one day reach it, and it would be reduced to metal and wasteland, just like that polluted smelly city Robotropolis.

Rouge also liked looking at it as it reminded her of the days when she was a child and standing between her parents and how they would tell her that the world was theirs, with all the treasures of the world, worth finding and stealing.

Rouge closed her eyes as the image of her lost parents came to her, she still remembered it like yesterday being forced to flee at her parents' orders, yet she pushed those memories away and thought about when they flew free and lived how they pleased with no rules.

Flashback

A young white bat looked up at her parents as they held her hands and looked out over the horizon from a cliff.

"Such a beautiful sight is it not Ebony?" a male bat spoke, and Rouge looked up at her father, a silver-grey coloured bat with black wings.

"Oh, it is Quicksilver." The female on Rouge's over side agreed, this one had black fur as well as dark purple wings "A world filled with treasures for the taking!"

Rouge smiled and looked back at the horizon.

"Are there treasures out there, mother? Father?" she asked, "Are we going to find them?"

"We are sweetheart!" her mother replied "So many beautiful treasures for us to find! And you're going to help us!"

Rouge smiled.

"I can't wait to find them!" she cheered.

"And we shall my little jewel!" Quicksilver quipped "We will find them and become rich! We live the free life, and we take what we want, and live how we please! And that is our life until the end of time!"

Rouge grinned.

"But know this our little diamond!" Ebony said fervently "No matter what jewels we find, whether it be gold, silver, or precious stones, you are the greatest treasure of all!"

Rouge blinked.

"Really?" she asked.

"Indeed yes!" Quicksilver added "You are our jewel! Our crystal, our diamond! No matter how precious treasures we find, you are the most precious of them all! Our daughter!"

Rouge smiled at her parents and gripped their hands.

"And you're mine too!" she said, "You're my precious treasures!"

At that, Quicksilver and Ebony knelt to their daughter and kissed each cheek making the little bat giggle.

"We love you, Rouge." They said softly "Our little Gem."

"I love you too mother, father!" Rouge answered them with a smile and squeezed their hands tighter.

End Flashback

Tears streamed from Rouge's eyes as she remembered those words her parents told her, about her being the most precious treasure in their lives.

"I miss you so much, mother, father." Rouge whispered as she looked at the horizon, watching the sun rising higher and covering the land with its blanket of golden light then she lowered her head to her knees and rocked back and forth as she felt the tears fall.

"I didn't want to leave you…. I didn't want to go, but you made me, but if you're still alive…I'll get you back, I'll find you, and bring you home!"

"Hey there!"

Rouge looked up from her knees and turned around quickly wiping her eyes.

Behind her was a female mongoose with yellow fur and long purple hair that hung in curls to her waist and wearing a black tank top and brown shorts.

"Oh, hi Mina." Rouge said softly before turning back to the horizon.

"What are you doing here?" Mina asked walking over and sitting next to the white bat.

"Nothing." Rouge sighed "Just thinking and looking out at what is untouched by Robotnik."

Mina looked out at the horizon and looked down.

"Oh yeah." She said, "Some of Mobius that is still free from that Tyrant's iron fist."

"Indeed," Rouge said.

Mina looked out at the countryside and sighed.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she said, "I love coming out here and imagining the rest of Mobius to be free from Robotnik."

Rouge said nothing but nodded.

"If we stick together we will reclaim what is ours!" Mina continued "But in the meantime, we can only keep fighting, but at the same time, keep that light in the darkness."

Rouge looked towards the Mongoose.

"Even in the darkest of times, we still have to keep searching for the light." Mina continued "Sally is often telling us that, yet I wonder if she sees the light herself? She's always telling us to stay strong, yet she doesn't always stay strong herself."

"She's under a lot of pressure that's why!" Rouge said, "She stays strong for us, yet leaves none for herself!"

Mina nodded.

"Agreed, I don't know how she stays standing, with all she does."

She tapped her fingers against her thumb as she thought hard then she smiled softly as if something had come to her and inspired her.

"In the darkness there is light, when it rains, there is a rainbow."

Rouge cocked her head on one side as Mina spoke.

"Do you tell yourself that often?" she asked, "Even if you feel there is no hope?"

"All the time." Mina replied and looked back at the horizon.

"Hmmm." She mused "When it rains…. rainbow…" then then began to hum a tune and Rouge felt a small smile come to her lips as she listened to the Mongoose's beautiful voice.

The Mongoose was a very talented singer, and she often entertained the village with little concerts with the other talented musicians of Knothole, and right now it seemed the Mongoose was feeling inspired as she hummed.

Rouge looked back at the horizon and sighed.

"When it rains….it pours…" Mina sang softly then hummed again for a little longer "well the sky is finally opened…." She sang again then hummed softly "I'm just trying to tell ya…that there's always been a rainbow…. hanging over your head…"

Mina smiled and looked up.

"I think I might have another song in the making!" she grinned as she stood up.

"Well done!" Rouge smiled "You searched for a treasure, and you found it!"

"I guess I did!" Mina chuckled "I need to make sure this is written down and see if I can put some music to it!"

She looked at Rouge and patted the bat's shoulder.

"Don't be too long okay, it'll be breakfast then another meeting with the Princess, Rotor and Sonic!"

"Thank you, Mina." Rouge replied gratefully and watched the Mongoose walk back to Knothole.

Rouge looked back at the horizon and stood up deciding to return as well.

"Whatever Sally has planned for Robotroplis," She thought to herself "I hope to join her, then I can continue my search for my parents, and my brethren, to find out if any are still alive, inside a Robot Shell."

Rouge misses her parents and brethren, and she hopes to find them, should they still be alive and Mina is inspired to write a song, I will admit this is the song 'Rainbow' by Kacey Musgraves, which I think is a very inspiring song!

Also I would like to take a moment to thank you to all those who have faved and are following this story, and if it's not too cheeky to ask, if you could take the time to comment, as I would love to know how I'm doing and how I could improve my writing, and if you have any ideas for me or what you would like to see in this story?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you in the next one! Stay safe everyone!