Rei just stared at the enormous rock wall that was rising before her eyes. Normally, when going home, she would see a nice beach with white sand and palm trees... now the enormous mountain of Angel Island was rising above her... the Ice Cap!
"How could the island just crash like this?" she murmured. "That must mean... wait a minute! The Master Emerald! Something must have happened to it."
"That's right," a grumpy voice said to her right. "The Master Emerald got broken just because YOU couldn't return in time to guard it."
Rei turned around to face Knuckles. "What did you say? Broken? Who did it?"
"I don't know," the male echidna said. "I only know it's because of YOUR incompetence as a guardian."
"Now just wait a minute," Rei growled. "You may be an unsocial jerk that has no concerns but guarding the island, but some people on Earth have something called a life, you know? If I would stay on that stupid floating rock for all my life, I would have never met my friends!"
"Perhaps that's better, then," Knuckles growled. "I think they distract you from your duties as a guardian! Our ancestors left the Master Emerald for us to protect it from outsiders. And now look at what happened: The island came crashing down, and the emerald got shattered!" He held up several green shards. "I was lucky to find those up to now, but as long as we don't find the others, that means nothing!"
Rei stared at him. "I may have called you, but on your island, there isn't even a phone! Do you think I want to stay on that piece of rock forever? I know I messed up, and I know of my duties... But we are three guardians, so that doesn't mean one can jump in when one of the others fails to attend to his duties. One thing you failed to learn after all these years you spent alone was: teamwork!" She huffed and stormed back towards the train station.
Knuckles looked after her. "Dang... and the worst thing is, part of me believed what she just told me..."
----
When Rei arrived back in Station Square, she returned to Makoto's apartment and knocked on the door.
Makoto opened. "Yes?" Rei sobbed and threw herself in the arms of the taller rabbit.
"That stupid Knuckles! He just blamed me! He has no friends himself and says I should leave you all behind... he doesn't even know my other duties as Senshi. And now the Master Emerald was shattered, and the island came crashing down, and everything that jerk could do was yelling at me." She sniffed at the shoulder of her friend.
Makoto patted the distraught echidna girl on the shoulder. "It's okay, Rei... He's just an insensitive jerk, don't let his words get to you."
"But he's partly right, you know?" Rei mumbled. "Protecting the Master Emerald is almost as important as being Sailor Mars, and I failed to attend to my duties as I should."
"Just come in for a while." Makoto led her friend inside. "A strong cup of tea, and you'll feel better."
Cream came out of the kitchen, followed by the floating Cheese. "Makoto, who's there? Oh, Rei... did something happen? Did you cry?"
Rei smiled. Makoto's little cousin really was sweet. "I'm fine, Cream... I was just upset at some guy..."
"Now, sit down for a while and tell us the whole story, okay?" Makoto said.
After several minutes, Rei had told the two bunnies and the Chao what had happened to the island and the Master Emerald.
"That's terrible," Makoto said. "How many pieces do you think are scattered?"
"I don't know." Rei shook her head. "I just know that we have to find them. The Master Emerald contains massive powers, and even a small shard in the wrong hands could be disastrous."
"Um, are those shards by any chance green and gleaming?" Cream wanted to know.
Rei nodded. "Yes, but how do you know?"
Cream smiled and held up some shining shards. "We found them yesterday at the park and decided to keep them. If you want, you can have them back."
Rei smiled and hugged the little rabbit deeply. "Oh Cream, you're wonderful! You're the sweetest little girl I've ever met."
Cream giggled. "You should thank Cheese! He was the one that found them in a tree."
Rei looked at the little, floating Chao. "Well then, thank you for finding the emerald shards, Cheese! It means a lot to me."
Cheese smiled happily. "Chao!"
----
Knuckles' own search for the emerald pieces led him to Station Square, where he bumped into a certain pink hedgehog girl. "Knuckles! Wow, I don't see your face too often here in town. What brings you here?"
"Huh? Oh, Amy... well, it's just that the Master Emerald got broken into pieces..." He sighed. "And I have to find them all. Just because of that stupid Rei... if she hadn't gone to her friends that evening... the emerald would still be in one piece! Oh man, I already gave her a piece of my mind, but right now I'm still so angry at her... I'd smack her once if she was standing before me."
Amy frowned at hearing that. Then she sighed and pulled out her mallet.
WHAM!
"Ouch!" Knuckles yelled and held his head. "What was that for?"
Amy put back her hammer and shook her head. "Knuckles, you may be a nice guy, but... sometimes, you're just hopeless! Staying around her friends is her way of finding happiness. You always stay up on your island and never meet with friends... I really think that's what makes you distrust anyone. Remember how Eggman tricked you when you first met him, and you thought Sonic was an emerald thief?"
Knuckles groaned. "Please, don't remember me of that..."
"But you should remember it! From what I understood, you hurt Rei's feelings! And a girl's feelings are something very special, Knuckles! And you better remember that, got it? Or I'll pull out my Piko Piko hammer again!"
Knuckles sweat-dropped. "That won't be necessary, I think."
Amy nodded. "Good. Now, go back to Rei, and apologize to her."
"But I have to find the pieces of the..."
"NOW!"
Knuckles gulped. "Yes, ma'am..."
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Sat, 12 Aug 2006 16:20)
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