Chapter 10: The End of the Beginning (I guess.)

The power slowly faded as they got back to the island. Knux's wings disappeared as he landed in the grass. He turned to Rouge, who landed safely also.

"Whoa! What a ride, huh?" he said. He got his answer when he felt her hand go limp and caught her as she fainted. He carried her to the heli, which appeared instantly (A/N: Don't ask, it's an author screw-up thing.). He laid her on the bed, kissed her forehead, and went back out.

Rouge was trapped in the same darkness. She knew that she was capable of waking up, but she was too weak to try. She was strong enough to start running. She saw a door and began to approach it, but it seemed like the more she ran, the more distant it became.

"Going somewhere?"

She heard the voice behind her. She didn't have to stop and turn around to see who it was. She ran faster, but it seemed like she was going nowhere. Her body grew tired and she stopped.

"I gave you a chance to forget and you throw it back at me for him!"

She turned and faced him. "What are you doing here? I finally get away from you and now you're back to torture me?"

"Not yet. I'm giving you another chance to consider my offer."

"And why should I do that?" she asked bitterly.

"Everything that I've done to you will be no more. Don't you want that?" he asked with the same tone.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Why shouldn't you? I'm practically a part of you now."

"You're not a part of me and you will never be! Find someone else to torture!" she yelled.

"I won't have to torture you anymore if you'd just say yes."

She hesitated. She knew this was a dream, but she still couldn't trust him. Then again, if he really told the truth, she could live without the guilt.

He saw her in deep thought. He put a hand on her shoulder. "You know you want to." He held the emerald close to her face.

The glow reminded her of all the pain she went through. The guilt, the loss of control, the power.

"I won't hurt you.this time." he cackled.

She felt the emerald blind her, taking her into the worst of nightmares.

Knux sat on the edge of the island, which was considerably higher because of the restored emerald's power. The island did feel more peaceful than usual, but many thoughts about the past day troubled his mind.

He had no idea that she was the Dark Angel. He knew that if Shadow wasn't in the picture that it would still be a mystery to him. He slowly started to remember the stories his ancestors told him. One part seemed to stick in his head.

"Let her give in to the true power of darkness. Control and keep her and she'll be yours forever."

That part scared him. He assumed that Shadow did that, but why didn't he keep her? Did it have something to do with his power? He was incredibly confused. He continued thinking as the sky went from a soft orange to a dark blue.

She tossed and turned as the nightmare took over her mind. She awoke with images from the previous night before her eyes. The darkness of the bedroom scared her terribly, so she left the heli.

A cool breeze played with her normal-sized wings as she wandered through the island. She spotted the waterfall and walked toward it. She sat on the rock closest to the edge. The sound of the water started calming her.

As he continued to sort things out, he started to worry about Rouge. He decided to check on her.

When he didn't find her in the heli, he grew worried. Losing her again would break him. As he neared the waterfall, he heard a small sound. He got closer, finding Rouge with her face in her hands. He sat down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong, Rouge?" he asked calmly.

She looked at him with the most troubling eyes he had ever seen. "Don't you realize what I did to you? I cheated on you and killed you. Why do you still bother?" she asked while sobbing.

"But you saved me too." he added. "Do you think I would be here if you hadn't cared about me so much?"

Tears stung her eyes as she turned away. "I can't control it, Knuckles. He's in my head. I can't get him out."

He gently pulled her towards him. "Control has nothing to do with it. It's full-blown love, Rouge."

She looked confused. "How can that be?" she asked.

"I don't see you running back to Shadow."

She sighed. "I'd never do that. I kept telling him that I loved you, but he ignored it. He made me do something I didn't wanna do-"

"And once I find him again, I'll kill 'im." he thought. "That was all in your head. What do you feel in your heart, Rouge?" he asked her.

She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She cursed herself silently for not being able to answer.

He smiled as he saw her struggling to speak. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me now. I have something to tell you first." He slowly stood up and situated himself. He looked up at the night sky. He didn't know where to start. He took a deep breath and looked back at her.

"Ever since you disappeared, I've been doing a lot of thinking, but it didn't help. All I know is I don't care what you did, what powers you possess or anything like that. You may be the Dark Angel, but you're my angel."

She stared at him with loving eyes. "It's great to be back." She stood up and hugged him. Her tears slowly dried as she played with his locks. "I missed you."

He stood there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. He said nothing as she gave him a questioning look.

"What?" she asked.

He pouted and looked down at the grass, using a foot to manipulate it. "You never said I was your angel."

She laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I thought you already knew."

"I want proof," he said with the same look on his face.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a fake sigh. "You just gotta have all the details, huh?" she asked. He nodded in reply.

She sighed again. "Well, what does this tell you?" she asked before she brushed her lips against his. Soon enough, her tongue slipped past his lips. She let go after a few minutes.

The kiss left his mind a little hazy, but he eventually gained the ability to speak. "Hmm, I don't know, but what I know is this." He then copied her move, but made the kiss even deeper.

Her mind relaxed of everything as she felt her heartbeat through her chest. His arms slipped down to her lower back. He massaged it lightly as he kissed her.

She still saw fireworks as he let go. She grew slightly starry-eyed as she said, "Let's just that I'm flying without my wings to help."

He smiled. "Glad you see things my way." he said as he took her hands in his. They hung parallel to the ground as he said softly, "No control, no pressure."

"Not possible. I have control now." she said while crossing her arms.

His hands went to her sides, tickling her. She laughed as she fell to the ground, taking him with her. He lay on top of her with a sexy grin on his face. "What control?" he asked with his hands gripping her sides firmly.

"This control." she replied as she tugged his locks. Her grip on them weakened his grip on her sides. She pushed him to the side and dominated him. "Who's desperate now?" she asked, staring into his amethyst eyes. He did the same to her aqua blue orbs, saying nothing in reply.

They both smiled and answered, "We are." before locking lips again.

THE END!

Note: All script was harmed in the making and editing of this fic.