26Um, hey. I know, I know, it's been AGES since I last updated, but fanfiction BROKE on me (if you read my bio on my profile you may know, but I've removed it now so you might not), and wouldn't let me update my stories. Also, I did try to write three chapters instead of one. Based on reviews I trialled doing three chapters and updating in one go instead of just the one, but I found it long and tedious so you're only getting one chapter, unless I can write chapter 7 as well today.
Anyways, my babbling is boring. So, onto the story!
Chapter 6- Planning
Knuckles was pissed.
That wasn't unusual, and it certainly happened a lot in stressful or slow situations.
Right now, Knuckles was pissed because Sonic was taking forever to get his lazy ass going. He insisted on planning everything carefully, their journey, their supplies, their arrival, and to be perfectly honest Knuckles was sick and tired of it. He was an action person. He believed in acting first and thinking about it when reminded to think about it. Not sitting around for weeks trying to decide how much water he needed.
Since when had Sonic become so damned fussy?
Maybe Amy had totally screwed the dude. Whatever. All Knuckles knew was that Sonic was turning into a Tails copy with every minute that passed, and for all they knew Amy and Rouge could be boarding a plane to fly halfway across the world by now.
Not Knuckles' idea of the best way to find them.
Tails and Cream had agreed to help (well, Tails agreed to help and then there was no question of Cream not being involved, though both Tails and Cream denied it everyone knew how much they liked each other) and the two of them and Sonic had disappeared into their own little bubble of planning and discussion. Knuckles was way out of his element, so he mostly just mooched around trying to decide on what to say to Rouge when he finally found her.
Knuckles was not a...'talky' guy. He didn't do communication. His main form of communicating was through his fists.
Oh how Knuckles wished he could punch something right now. At least it would give him something to do.
Also, Knuckles was not a 'thinky' guy. He didn't like thinking hard about things, especially things that required a good decision. Those situations freaked him out.
So when Knuckles was forced to think about how he could talk to the girl he liked, it resulted in a very pissed off echidna.
Somewhere in the sensible part of his brain (long buried), he knew that thinking about this was necessary and vitally important. If he spent weeks trying to find Rouge and then totally screwed it up with the first words out of his mouth, the whole thing would be a complete failure.
And Knuckles detested failure.
So he mostly mooched around by himself and tried to think of some ways to talk to Rouge. Maybe he could compliment her. Or be flirty and sexy. Knuckles had tried the former, but he wasn't very good at modest compliments when they weren't on a battlefield and when he tried to imagine saying them to Rouge, the whole thing fell apart.
Knuckles was leaning more towards flirty and sexy, but he wasn't really sure he was getting it right. Sure it was what Rouge would prefer, but if he just looked like a prat...
And it wasn't like Knuckles could practice. Who the hell would he practice with? Cream? That would be a form of rape. Tails? Creepy. Sonic? Shut the hell up, he wasn't gay.
So Knuckles had to practice being seductive in front of a mirror, like a girl obsessed over practicing kissing. He hated being reduced to this. But it was for Rouge, so he would take the embarrassment he gave himself on the chin and live with it. Just so long as no one ever saw him doing it, he could get away with his fairly pathetic attempts at being ready to meet Rouge again.
Wow. He must really like the girl.
Damn it. He was totally screwed.
Knuckles kicked a nearby rock, it had offended him by being so annoyingly large. The rock flew through the air and hit a tree, before falling to the ground.
This cheered Knuckles up considerably, and he began to think about what Sonic was doing that was so vitally important.
Tails had said that the best way to try and find them was to do some research on Rouge's background. It was beyond obvious (to those who knew the girls well) that Amy had gone with Rouge after her argument with Sonic. And- or so Tails said- Rouge would probably go somewhere she knew well, so as to give them both some comfort. And so, that resulted in Tails doing some research on possible places Rouge may have gone, based on her history. He had been checking her pages on social networking sites, as well as going through old files in the Town Hall for any information on her family. It was only when Tails started talking about Rouge's sister that Knuckles realised just how little he actually knew about the silver bat.
After finding out about this mysterious sister of Rouge's, Tails had then begun a thorough investigation into her and her places of residence. That was what he was doing right at that moment, and the reason why Knuckles was prowling around outside, waiting for a time when they would pinpoint a location that he and Sonic could then travel to, in the hope that they could find Rouge and Amy there. If not, then they were going to hunt out this sister, and ask her more about Rouge and if she knew anything about her current whereabouts. After that, they were back on the road, back to searching.
Knuckles knew that this search had the potential to be very long-winded and tedious.
And yet he was still going to go through with it.
All for the silver bat.
He had to admit that he liked her more than he'd ever liked anything, even fighting. Naturally, he'd never actually tell anyone that, because they'd probably laugh him into shame. Even Cream would. Well, she'd laugh. A little.
Knuckles still couldn't shake the feeling of...wholeness he felt whenever he thought of Rouge. She'd pretty much gone and changed Knuckles' life, and yet no one noticed much difference in his attitude. Except Sonic, but that was only because he was going through the same thing. Other than that, Knuckles had managed to conceal all traces of the madness that was threatening to take him over.
He knew he had to find Rouge. Soon.
Or at least have some kind of lead to go on.
They'd already tried calling Amy's mobile phone, but it was always switched off. Knuckles suspected that she'd blacklisted every number in her mobile that linked her back to Sonic, so that they had to work to find her. Rouge had actually gone even further, because she'd changed her number completely. Knuckles had tried calling her (using Cream's phone), and some strange girl had answered, asking him if he was trying to tell her a secret code when he kept asking for Rouge.
That attempt had fallen down straight away, so they'd gone to the traditional, detective ways of finding people.
Unfortunately, Knuckles wasn't much of a detective. More of a bodyguard or one of those strong henchmen that throw people through walls.
Overall, the situation was starting to take its effect on Knuckles' sanity. It was only his affection for Rouge that had carried him this far.
And it always would.
XXX
Sonic was trying really hard to find Amy. He'd actually done some research. RESEARCH! Sonic the Hedgehog did not do research.
Until Amy Rose had walked out of his life.
At first, the whole 'Amy's gone' thing had been pleasing to the blue hedgehog. He'd been happy that the obsessive girl had gone, so that she would never bother him again. She had really been starting to bother him.
So Sonic had been pleased that she had gone. But then, he began to miss things about her. Like her positive attitude, her cheery manner, her optimistic way of life. He missed everything about her.
Which explained why he was doing research. He had to find Amy and apologise. Make her see that he was truly sorry for messing about with her feelings, and beg her to come back. He knew that conversation would have to take place when Rouge was not around, because practically everyone bent to Rouge's will when she really tried to be forceful. Amy was no exception.
And Sonic was not wasting his time doing research to have it all ruined because of Rouge. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way of getting Amy back. That wasn't in his nature.
Sonic sighed, walking past Tails to get to the computer. He'd been reading up on information that might prove useful in finding the girls. Tails was handling the research on this 'Roxanne', the mysterious sister of Rouge. Cream was trying to get in touch with Rouge's mother, just in case she knew anything. Sonic was planning out the actual journey, seeing as he went away on long trips quite frequently, because of a certain egg-obsessed man *cough* Eggman *cough*.
Sonic glanced out of a window and saw Knuckles pacing, looking very annoyed. Sonic sighed, yet again. Knuckles wasn't good with research, so he was pacing to try and shake off some of his anxiety. Sonic felt bad for his friend, because he knew that Knuckles had received a big shock when he found out just how...emotional he could be.
The blue hedgehog changed course, heading for the bid double doors that led outside. He hated seeing Knuckles so...tense.
"Hey buddy," Sonic called, and Knuckles turned to the sound of his voice, "You okay?"
Knuckles sat down on a rock and sighed. "Not really."
Sonic sat down next to him. "I know what you mean. Thinking about important stuff...it's hard isn't it?"
Knuckles rolled his eyes. "You can say that again."
Sonic laughed. "This is why we don't think. It's easier to act."
Knuckles smiled faintly. "Yeah. But it's like you said...this is really important. I don't wanna screw up."
"That would suck." Sonic agreed.
"Especially after all the hard work and the waiting." Knuckles continued, before shooting Sonic a sly look. "How long is it gonna be now?"
Sonic frowned. "I don't know. I think we're getting there, because Tails has been getting more and more excited, meaning he's close to a location."
Knuckles pounded a fist into his other hand. "Good. I want to get moving."
"Same here. It makes me edgy...they could have moved on by now...or they could while we're travelling...I just want to get to them soon."
Knuckles rested a hand on Sonic's shoulder in a brotherly way. "It'll be okay."
Sonic nodded, just as Tails came running out of the house, Cream close behind him. Sonic and Knuckles looked up in surprise.
"I...I've...found...it!" Tails panted, his excitement visible through his exhaustion. Cream patted his back worriedly.
Sonic and Knuckles jumped up.
"Seriously?" Sonic asked. Tails nodded.
"Where?" Knuckles demanded.
"It's this city called Haverly. Roxanne lives there, in a club, which we thought Rouge would go to."
"How do we get there?" Sonic asked in a strained tone.
"Cream has a map, so-"
Knuckles snatched the map from Cream and Sonic raced inside, grabbing a bag with some water and food in it. The two then turned around and started running, while Cream just stared after them, gobsmacked. Tails whacked a palm to his forehead.
"Good luck!" He called.
Sonic and Knuckles ran on, heading for the train station. Finally, a place for them to head to...
They could almost see the girls in front of them as they ran, their planning over, only the journey separating them from the ones they loved.
Okay, that ending sucked. It was crap. I know it was.
It was also kinda short, so sorry about that! And if you're wondering why they found out the place where the girls were so quickly, it's because I wanted to get to the meeting part soon and also because I couldn't be bothered to drag it on by writing about loads of different places that they visited. So that's why.
Hopefully chapter 7 will be up soon, because it's the Easter Holidays now and I'll have more time. I think.
XBlazingVampire5X