FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Angel Island floats along its usual course across the planet, undisturbed as it has been, save for the evil scientist invasions—people building amusement parks, the invasion of multiple echidna techno-cults, and zombie-throwing demon aliens.

Okay, so life on Angel Island isn't that peaceful. It's precisely because of that which makes Knuckles such a vigilant guardian. When he's not treasure hunting or going off on another adventure with his friends, he stands before the Master Emerald, his arms folded, staring into the distance in contemplation.

After all, he is Knuckles and good at his job. He was good years ago when Eggman first tricked him, and he is good now that he's firmly in adulthood.

The guardian keeps to himself, listening and feeling. Today, the peace disappears as flocks and flocks of birds pass over the horizon and dive down, landing all over the place.

"What's going on!?" He growls, stomping up to some of the birds. "What are you doing on my island?"

But no matter how much he yells at the birds, all they do is flutter and flap away, only to land somewhere else nearby.

Something must have disturbed them to get them off the land and onto his island. He snorts and turns toward the front. Cupping his sizeable gloved hand over his ear, he listens.

Is that… a rumbling? Could there be an earthquake or a volcano in the island’s path? If so, he needs to know and do something about it. So, he takes a running start and glides, traversing all across Angel Island until he lands on the edge.

When he finally lands, he steps back, blinking, his jaw slack.

The sound wasn't the rumbling of tremors from an earthquake or the grumbles of an angry planet—it was footsteps. Massive stomps from a body filled with muscle, towering like Zavok empowered by the chaos emeralds or the Titans of the Starfall Islands. But this was no alien threat or ancient machine—the almost comically small head resting on those mountainous shoulders is none other than Rouge the Bat!?"

"In the miles and miles of flesh!" the bat says, clucking and flexing. "Do you like the new look, Red?"

He holds up his fists, growling. "I don't know what game you're playing or what you did to yourself, but you need to turn yourself around right now and let my island pass!"

"Oh, you know I can't do that, cutie," ROuge says, fluttering her eyes and stretching. "I'm using this new body to come to your island!"

Her steps are so massive that she is upon him in no time. Those gigantic hands grab at the edges of the mountain as she leans in, her smile wide and her mouth massive before him.

What do you think you'll do against me, Tiny?" She taunts, lifting one hand and reaching down for him.

Knuckles leaps out of the way and glides onto her knuckle, running up her arm. "Oh, I will protect my island and the Master Emerald!"

"The Master Emerald will make an excellent ring or maybe a belly-button piercing now, don't you think?"

He continues rushing up her arm, his hands ready to throw down, but Rouge lets go of the island and flicks at him.

The impact of the blow sends him flying off of her and across the island. He tumbles through Mushroom Hill and up the slopes of the ice cap, rolling into a massive snowball and down the mountain until he crashes into the base by the Master Emerald Shrine.

Rouge grabs the island's edge and lifts a leg, stepping onto it. Her weight is so great that she tilts the isle in her direction, like a precariously placed pool toy.

As the ground tilts, the birds squawk and screech, flying away.

Knuckles digs his fists into the ground, climbing the nearly vertical ground now that the bat pushes herself entirely onto the island, climbing up the whole thing as if it were nothing but a small table and not the floating paradise that it is.

"Just hand me the emerald, Red, and you won't have to do anything else. I'll leave you alone, I promise! After all, once I have it, I'll have both the Master Emerald and the Mammoth Malachite!"

Knuckles blinks. "Mammoth Malachite: I don't know what that is, but if it's anything like the Chaos Emeralds, then the Master Emerald is exactly what I need to counteract its power." He turns and begins climbing up the path toward the Master Emerald Shrine. All the while, Rouge reaches up, her hand threatening to grab it.

Knuckles is onto her, leaping from the wall and gliding toward that outstretched hand, sending a swing against it.

The force of his attack sends her hand reeling back, and Rouge yelps, rubbing her palm. "That hurt, you big bully!"

"You're the one threatening my home!" Knuckles shouts, flying back and colliding into the shrine. "And no matter what—if you're gonna try to steal it, then I'm going to fight to defend it!"

He places his palm upon the Master Emerald, closing his eyes. "The Servers are the Seven Chaos…"

He begins the prayer taught by his ancestors, feeling the power of the Master Emerald flowing through him. As he turns to direct the energy toward Rouge, something happens. There's a spark-it rushes through him and into his brain.

With great power, the Emerald's energy rushes through him, enveloping him in a bright green and shooting him off quickly. It strikes Rouge in the cheek, sending them tumbling off the island and into the large desert below!

When Knuckles finally regains his senses, he pushes himself up on the sand, spitting some of it out.

Before him, Rouge picks herself up, rubbing her cheek. "You're going to regret that." She growls.

Knuckles lands before Rouge, his fists up, his whole body enveloped in the emerald aura of the stone he protected from her. "Regret protecting my island? You've always been petty, Rouge, but this is terrible, even for you!"

Rouge narrows her eyes, sitting on her knees. Considering her size, she lifts and slams a hand with incredible speed. "Sorry, Red, but I'm still playing games. Are you just upset that I'm playing by your rules?"