The Guardian's Rose_Part Three_Chapter One

The Guardian's Rose_Part Three_Chapter One

The Guardians Rose Three-
Outcast

3 years. 3 long, happy, blissful years. It had been 3 years since Volt had Trixie had invaded Knuckle’s island and tried to get the Master Emerald, and himself.
Knuckles stood before the Master Emerald, smiling proudly, recalling his beloved Amy Rose’s bravery. She really had matured. He took a deep breath, and looked all around him. Life was good.
“Knuxy!” came the sweet, singsong voice of the most important person in the world to Knuckles. Amy ran up the steps, smiling. During those years she had grown taller, matured physically, and her quills had grown, making it look like her ‘hair’ was longer, down to her shoulders. At this particular moment she was sporting a pink kimono, with decorations of roses all about. Knuckles blinked, wondering why she wasn’t wearing her usual red dress.
“How do I look?” she asked, standing before him.
“Beautiful.” He said with a smile. “What’s the occasion?”
“Felt like wearing it. I got this for my birthday a few months ago, remember?” Knuckles felt like slapping himself upside the head. How could he have forgotten? The outfit was from Sonic, and Amy had loved it. Knuckles had loved it too-wearing it made Amy show more of her figure.
Amy walked up Knuckles and hugged him. He blinked, and then patted her head. “Cheery, aren’t we?”
“I just love being here with you.” She purred, laying her head on his chest. Knuckles blushed. Over the years, he had tried to stop. After all, it was embarrassing, and he had to get used to a relationship. The blushes still came, but at least they were of lighter shades this time.
“I love you being here as well.” He replied. Amy moved her hands to his back, and rubbed his back slowly. A low purr emitted from Knuckles. Amy sighed gently, looking up at him.
“I love you, Knuckles...” She closed her eyes, getting on her toes, to kiss him. Knuckles, of course, blushed, and then closed his eyes, waiting to taste her tender lips.
WHUMP!
“Ow...”
“Knuckles, did you fall out of bed again?”
Knuckles blinked. He was on the cold floor, and now had a huge headache. He looked to his bed to see Amy in a pink nightgown looking down at him. A year or two back, they decided to sleep in one bed, together. (Get your mind out of the gutter, people, because I know what you’re thinking. Knuckles isn’t getting any. Yet.) Knuckles and Amy had trouble at first-due to shy issues-but slowly got used to it.
“I think you should sleep over on this side from now on.” Said Amy, rolling her eyes.
“That, or get a softer floor.” groaned Knuckles, sitting up. Amy got out of bed, making sure not to step on her boyfriend, and headed for the kitchen to make breakfast. Knuckles sat up, and began putting his socks and shoes on. He took a BIG sigh.
“Today’s the day...” he thought, and gulped. He slipped on his gloves, and went to the dining room.
Today’s breakfast was sausage and eggs. Yum.
Amy sat down next to Knuckles, and began eating, and so did he. During the meal, she noticed he was awfully fidgety, blushing madly, and trying not to look at her. She raised an eyebrow.
“Knuckles, is something wrong?”
He shook his head. “No. Nothings wrong. Nothing at all.” He didn’t look at her, and stirred the yellow yolk on his plate. “Will they even let me get it?” he thought. “They better…”
Amy wasn’t convinced. She new something was up. “Did you have a sexual fantasy about me last night?”
Knuckles nearly fell out of his chair. He shook his head. “That’s not it! I did but-Wait, I mean-I just-the thing is….” He just spat out words to form an incomplete sentence.
Amy blinked, and then went back to her food. Maybe it was better to just not ask anymore.
Knuckles made another big sigh after his meal and stood up. “Amy, you’ll have to guard the Master Emerald by yourself for a bit, ok?”
Amy looked to him, taking his plate and her own to wash the dishes. “Why?”
“I have to…do some…errands.” He replied nervously. He was still blushing, and twitching all about.
“Ok.” She said, blinking, then went to wash the silverware.
Knuckles grabbed his hat and waited until Amy was done, and changed, to leave. In one paw was his wallet, which he gripped onto tightly. “I need to calm down.” He said to himself, walking through the forest. “This isn’t even the hard part yet. That’ll be later...” he gulped, looking forward, holding his wallet tighter, making a fist with his other paw.

Amy sat before the Master Emerald, tossing her Piko Piko hammer up and down. She yawned. Without Knuckles this job was dull as dirt. She snapped her fingers, getting an idea. She placed her hammer down, and out of a pocket, took out her tarot cards. She smiled. She hadn’t used them in a while, but why not give them a shot today? She placed them down, and did the procedure needed. After that was said and done, she tilted her head, saying a small “Hmmm.” After thinking, she talked to herself. “Lesse…they say that something wonderful is going to happen to me and the one I love…but something bad will spread because of it…what could any of this be?”

“Keep walking, you.” Said Knuckles’s conscience.
Knuckles gulped again. He was standing before the entrance to Echidnaoplois. A place where he was no longer greeted with open arms. But that wasn’t the reason why he wasn’t moving.
“I should head home RIGHT now.” He thought.
“No, you should keep walking. Don’t make me have to use force.”
“You’re my good half, how the hell are you going to make me?”
“I’ll keep giving you the memory of that time when you were 6 and you decided to-”
“OK! Gods, you’re cruel.”
“Less talky, more walky.”
Knuckles moved his feet forward. Upon entering, he saw many habitants noticing his presence, and disliking it. He just rolled his eyes. They shook their heads, whispered to each other, snickered at him, glared at him, and sneered at him, anything to show that he was unwanted as long as they didn’t go near him or get him too angry.
Would you insult a guy that beat you up in 5 seconds flat in his face? Didn’t think so.
Knuckles continued walking on a sidewalk, ignoring everything everyone was doing. He just wanted to get this “errand” over with, then get home soon as possible. After a walk that seemed to last forever, he looked up, and saw the building he was looking for. Another gulp got to him.
A jewel shop.
He slowly pushed the door open, making a small bell ring, and entered. He looked around, seeing all the pretty earrings, necklaces and other fancy objects. He got up to a glass case, containing the most fancy, and expensive. He looked to his wallet, and counted his money, then looked back to the case. He nodded, reassuring himself, then looked up. The cashier was a male echidna, maybe in his late 40’s, who was weighing two opals.
“Excuse me.” Said Knuckles.
He continued weighing.
“Excuse me.” Said Knuckles a bit louder.
Still weighed.
“HEY!” he shouted. The older echidna looked to him.
“No need to shout.”
Knuckles held in a growl, and then tried to calm down. “I’m here to make a purchase.”
“Ah, excellent. What do you have your mind set on?”
Knuckles pointed to the glass case. To…
The cashier grinned.
“The emerald cascaded engagement ring, eh?” He said slyly. “Making a little lady lucky?”
“Just give it here.” Muttered Knuckles, slapping his money on the table, averting his eyes away.
“Heh heh heh. Ah, young love, how grand.” The cashier counted the money, and placed the ring in a small blue box, the traditional kind for all proposals. Knuckles went to get it, but stopped as the cashier suddenly said “Hold on. Are you that Guardian fellow?”
Knuckles looked at him, blinking. “Yes.”
The cashier’s face of joy went to one of disgust. “I see. So you’re the almighty protector of the Master Emerald…”
Knuckles knew where this was going. “Listen, I’ll just take this and…”
“You’re planning to marry that…that HEDGEHOG, aren’t you?” The cashier said it as if it was a curse word.
Knuckles tried to keep in his snarls, but it was getting hard. “Let me just have my ring.”
“I’m surprised you can still show your face around here.” The cashier turned back to his weighing, and began muttering to himself, though Knuckles could easily hear. “Shameful…thinks just because he’s the Guardian he can do anything he pleases…sickening...”
Knuckles grabbed the ring box and stormed out of the store. He was pissed. He began making his way home. But it had only been a few minutes when he heard footsteps behind him. He walked faster. So did the steps. He was being followed. He looked to the shadows. 3 echidnas. Teens, most likely.
“If it ain’t the almighty Guardian!” he heard a voice behind him. He just kept walking.
“Bow down, everyone! It’s the Guardian of the Master Emerald! Make way for the most important guy in all a’ Mobuis!” came from another male, still behind him.
“Whatcha got there, Guardian? Getting something to match the Emerald?” was the 3rd voice. Yeah, they were teens. Punks who, just like everyone else in Echidnaopolois, hated him.
Knuckles just kept on walking. One of them walked up to his side. He was blood shade of red, wearing sunglasses, and a black trench coat. “So tell me, Guardian, before you got the hog, didja have eyes on a skunk gal?” he snickered. Knuckles kept a stern, serious face on him, not looking toward him.
“No way man, hedgehogs only for THE Guardian! His best friend is one too!” The 2nd one got on the other side of Knuckles. He was more of a dark raspberry color. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, but he had on baggy jeans, so baggy, it was amazing he could walk without tripping. He also had a tattoo of the planet Mobuis on his left shoulder.
“Guess the Guardian’s too good for us lowly echidnas!” was the last one, going onto the side of the 1st one. His black nose was unusually small, and had on a green long sleeved T-shirt and denim jeans, and had a scar under his mouth.
Knuckles kept walking. Ones that were around stopped what they were doing to see what would happen.
“I think my cousin has a pet chao. You wanna date that?”
“Out of his way, all of you! Don’t get in the mighty Guardians way! We’re all dirt compared to him!”
“A HedgeHOG, you dating her cuz she enjoys slop?”
The boys burst into annoying laughter. Knuckles grinded his teeth. They were pushing it. He had promised himself he wouldn’t do anything when he entered the city, because he knew this kind of thing might happen.
“Ha ha ha!! Yeah!! HedgeHOG!! Oink oink oink!”
All three began oinking and snorting pig noises. Knuckles was holding onto the ring box so tightly, it almost broke.
“Pigs like it dirty! Maybe she and the Guardian get REAL dirty!! A HA HA HA!”
That was it. Knuckles grabbed the sunglasses wearing teen by the collar of his trench coat and brought his face up to him.
“One more ‘oink’, and you never live to squeal again.” He said in the most threatening voice he had, his eyes ablaze with anger. The other two ran for their lives, while the captive shook and nodded. Knuckles let him drop, and continued walking.
After he wasn’t able to seen, the other boys ran back.
“We, uh, we were going to get help, Demi!” said the shirtless one.
“Yeah, what Maffi said, help!” said the one with the scarred chin.
“Don’t gimmie that crap.” Demi muttered, standing up, brushing himself off. “You two are a bunch of chickens.”
“Yes Demi.” Both mumbled, lowering their heads.
“Sani, did you see where he was coming from?”
The scarred one, Sani, nodded. “From the jewelry store.”
“Maffi, you go and ask the owner what he was doing there. Sani, you come with me.”
“You got it Demi!” said Maffi, running off. Demi and Sani began walking in the other direction.
“Where we goin’, Demi?”
“Going to HQ to wait for Maffi. Once he gets the info, we’re seeing Big G…”
“B-b-b-b-big G?!?”
“You heard me. Big G. I think he’d be interested…”

Knuckles didn’t go straight back to Amy, as he had planned in the 1st place. Once getting to Angel Island, he set the ring box down, and began swinging punches at a tree with all the fury and rage he hadn’t used back in the city.
“Lousy kids...” he thought. “What the hell does it matter that she’s a hedgehog??” He kept up his rapid punches. Each one had more force and more anger than the last. “Since when did it matter what species you were?? What happened to caring about the heart?!? I SHOULD HAVE RIPPED OFF ALL OF THEIR HEADS!”
With one final punch, the tree shook, and crashed down in front of him. He took another sigh, then grabbed his ring box, and began walking to the Master Emerald, and his Amy.

Amy had tried over and over to try and make the tarot comes be clearer with their message, but her quest was fruitless. She eventually gave up, and waited patiently for Knuckles. She smiled, remembering all the good that had happened ever since she 1st came. She thought she had loved Sonic, but it merely proved to be a respectful, fan girl crush. This, with Knuckles, was true love. She knew it for a fact. She wished that everyone on Mobuis could have this wonderful feeling. Sonic hadn’t settled down with anyone, and refused to understand the word ‘commitment’. Tails and Cream had been dating for a small bit, and some said they were really in love. She laughed, remembering getting a cell phone call from Cream those years ago. Cream was shocked to find out what Amy had done, moving in with Knuckles and being his girlfriend. Cream had heard from Sonic, who had heard from Tails. According to Tails, Sonic didn’t believe him at 1st. It wasn’t until Amy personally, over the phone, told him it was true that he believed. He was glad to get the pest out of his quills, but he’d miss her as a friend. He was happy for her. Amazed, appalled, and astounded, but happy.
Amy bit her lower lip. There was one person she knew was highly displeased at her and Knuckles. That would be Rouge The Bat. Amy laid on her back, remembering how, one month before the Trixie incident, Rouge made a visit.

“Ok, let me get this straight.” Said the sexy bat, an angry look on her face. Amy and Knuckles were standing before the Master Emerald, and Rouge had arrived in time to see them kiss. Both stopped once they heard her. “The rumors are true, and you and her ARE dating. And she IS staying with you.”
“Rumors?” Amy had asked.
“It’s true.” Said Knuckles, eyes half closed. He wasn’t glad to see the diva.
“And is there a REASON your dating miss pretty pants?” asked Rouged huffily, crossed arms, and tapping one of her feet. Amy had looked to Knuckles, knowing he would get annoyed easily.
And he was. “Is there a problem?” he snapped, still holding Amy in his arms, but now tighter and more protectively.
“You’re dating…the Sonic fan. Instead of me. For gods sake Knuckles, you were hitting me during the whole ARK incident!”
Amy looked to Knuckles again, with raised eyebrows.
“For your information, when I insult someone, it’s not an attempt at flirting.” Said Knuckles. “And she’s gotten over Sonic. She’s moved on. Maybe you should do the same.”
“Listen you idiot echidna, just what in chaos’s name does she have that I don’t? I can name a hell of a lot of things that I have and that SHE doesn’t.” Rouge slid a hand down from her the side of her chest to her hips, showing just what she meant.
“What’s it going to take to get you to leave us alone?” barked Knuckles.
“Dump her, date me. Easy as that.”
“In your dreams, and my nightmares.”
Amy stayed silent, watching the battle of the words. It just evolved into insults, and Rouge soon had enough.
“Fine, be that way, you...you jerk!” she snarled, turning around. And she tripped. And fell on each step, landing on her head on the ground. “Ouch.”
Needless to say, it was impossible for Amy and Knuckles to not explode with laughter.

Amy sat up. She heard footsteps. To her delight, she spotted a red dot making its way to the long steps. Knuckles had hidden the ring box on his head, under his hat. He was once more blushing like hell, twitching, and fidgeting.
“Hey Knuxy!” said Amy, standing up and hugging him once he came near. “I missed you.”
Knuckles was silent for a bit, then attempted to say the following without choking. “A-A-Amy….?”
She looked up at him, eyes sparkling with all the love she had for him. “Yeah?”
“...Nothing.”
Amy blinked. “Ok.” The two sat down, and Amy tried to start up a conversation. Knuckles only replied with “Mm-hm.”s and “A-huh”s. She tried asking what his errands were, but he just gave a “Nothing important.” every time.
The day went, and the night came. As the stars began poking into the sky, Amy stretched her arms, beginning to walk down the steps. “Another day of guarding comes to a close.” She said.
“Hold on Amy...” said Knuckles catching up with her and grabbing one of her arms. She stopped to look at him. “Before we go home…I…I just…follow me, please.”
Amy nodded as Knuckles lead the way. She recalled his path, smiling. He was taking her to the beautiful garden and pond she had seen now so many times. When they arrived, it was as beautiful as it was during the day. The moonlight sparkled in the water, and lightning bugs rested on the petals of all the flowers, making it seem like the flowers could glow in the dark. The noisy hum of the bugs was quiet now, and all you could hear was the gentle waves of the pond made by the fish within.
“I love this place.” Said Amy dreamily. Knuckles looked down to Amy. She was so beautiful. It was now or never. In a sudden rush, he grabbed Amy and hugged her. He laid his chin on top of her head, taking in her smell. Roses. He rubbed the back of her head with his gloved paw, enjoying hearing her sigh of pleasure. Amy placed her arms around his neck, stroking his spines. She didn’t know why he was being so romantic, but did it matter?
“I love you Amy.” He said.
“I know.” She replied.
“I mean it Amy…” his grip on her got tighter, yet he was still gentle. “Since you first came, you’ve my life utter bliss...I can’t imagine living without you. You mean the world to me. I want to be with you forever.”
Amy blushed nuzzling her cheek against Knuckles’s neck. Dam, he was really attractive when he wanted to be. She felt his grip going lose. Amy held on, not wanting him to take away this moment. He easily got out of her grasp. Amy pouted, and closed her eyes, sighing. Knuckles took something out from under his hat. He got on one knee before her, and Amy opened an eye, then both.
“A-A-A-Amy….will you ma-ma-ma-marry me?” he stuttered, shakily holding up the ring box, containing the most beautiful ring Amy had ever seen. Amy gasped, putting her hands to her cheeks, blushing as much as Knuckles was, if not more. She trembled a bit, and felt tears go to her eyes. Knuckles took this as a bad sign and quickly stood up. “Oh shoot Amy I didn’t mean to-” he was cut off by a huge hug from Amy, wrapping her arms around him, under his arms, sobbing into his chest.
“Knuckles…oh god, Knuckles…I will, I will I will I will!” she sad between cries of happiness. Knuckles smiled sheepishly. So it was tears of JOY. Boy, he felt like an idiot. Knuckles took the ring out of the box, and took Amy’s hand. He delicately slipped it on her finger. She sniffed, a smile on her face, and snuggled up against him again. Knuckles kissed her head, happy to see her happy. Amy looked up to him, and took his lips in a deep, long kiss. Knuckles kissed her back just as passionately, wiping away her tears as well. They felt like they were on cloud 9, above Mobuis, floating away together, soaring on loves wings. Nothing could ever ruin their happy lives together.
Or so they guessed.

He shifted in his seat. “This makes things even worse.” ‘He’ was unrecognizable, dressed in a hooded cloak, only his gloved hands able to be seen. He was sitting in a chair made of rock, as was all the other hooded cloaked men around him in that circle. They were focused on the man like them in the middle.
“Much worse.” Said the middleman. “They are planning to wed, and it doesn’t seem anything will stop them. And afterwards, you know they will be limitless.”
“How foolish is this Guardian going to be?!?” shouted one in the chair.
“Once they break the barrier, they will have broken the most sacred law...” said another.
“We must do something!”
“But what?”
“Talking to them didn’t have any effect.”
“Must we use force?”
“No, it is against our ways.”
“The Guardian is going against our ways!”
All shouted, debating what to do and what not to do. One remained silent, unnoticed. Under the hood, he had on a sly smirk. He was different from them. He got out of his seat.
“Where are you going, Kala?”
“I have business to attend to.” He said, walking out. The others watched him leave, wondering what could be more important.

The hooded one arrived in a deserted building, where the roof leaked, the floors creaked, and it was nearly torn down.
“Big G. I trust our information proved of value?”
“Indeed, Demi.”
The three echidna teens that were mentioned before walked onto the scene, only their leader not cowering in fear.
“Nice to hear that we’re useful.” Said Demi, showing a grin with pointy teeth.
“Y-y-y-yeah, we’re useful, r-r-right?” said a shaking Maffi.
“Yeah, real usef-f-ful!” said a trembling Sani.
“Silence.” Said ‘big G’.
“YESSIR!” squeaked both boys and went to their knees. Demi laughed.
“Of course, you do realize I want this stopped at all costs.” G said.
“Of course.” Demi replied.
“It would be in your best interest not to fail.”
“We’ll do what we can.”
“Then get to it. I’m not paying you boys to cower before me, although that is an entertaining sight.”
“Heh heh. Lets go, guys.” Said Demi, walking off.
“YESSIR!” both howled and ran after. The boys walked into a rainy day, where the clouds were as dark as their hearts. Maffi and Sani were still quivering.
“You boys got no spines.” Said an annoyed Demi, heading down the sidewalk.
“Hey, we’ve got a good reason to be scared of Big G!” said Maffi to the left.
“Yeah! After what he did to Kami…” said Sani to the right.
Demi took off his sunglasses, going silent.
“I mean, what he did was stupid, trying to tell Constable Remington and all about what we were doin…but still…” said Maffi.
“Totally…and when Remmy didn’t believe him, and G found out...” said Sani.
“He was all begging and crying and pleading and G wouldn’t listen…”
“And then the G started all freakily glowing, like some kinda glow in the dark nightstick…”
“And he pointed his finger at Kami, and then Kami started a’ glowing, and then he was all screaming, and all that blood came outta his mouth…”
Demi stopped walking. The other stopped when he did, looking to their leader.
“You two act like I wasn’t there.” He muttered. “I saw him die for myself, like you bums.”
“Well…we just...”
“Yeah, we just...”
“Just shut up. I know the Big G is weird. Never showing his face, that voice of his, never explaining himself, and those weird powers of his…that’s why we’re on his good side. Chaos only knows where he gets all the dough to pay us, but we don’t complain, got it?”
The two nodded.
“Now come on. I’ve got an idea about that wedding….” He started walking again, and the two followed like lapdogs. He took one last glance to the building they were in.

“So Big G, now that tweedledee and tweedledum are gone for the day, how’s about I ask ya sumthin?”
“And why should you?”
“Curiosity, I guess.”
“Feh.”
“I just wanna know…what’s the G stand for?”
“…”
“well?”
“…Guardian.”

End of Chapter One.