AN: Well, the poll determined it. Out of all 9 votes, the sequel to Long May She Reign was the story you guys wanted to see me write. I gotta admit, I missed writing for these characters. I really enjoyed writing the first story and I've enjoyed writing this one. I haven't completely mapped it out all yet, but I have at least 11 chapters pre-written. To any of my new readers, reading this story. I'd highly recommend going back and reading the first story. (This goes the same for those that need a refresher.) Anyway, I thought I'd give my readers a nice semi-lengthy chapter to get started. Enjoy, guys!

•~•

Hoofs trotted against fresh soil as a horse and rider raced past the trees. The rider whooshed past some low branches and finally came into view. It was none other than Prince Shadow himself, as he hailed on his horse down a dirt path. He had been riding for hours now, but it was only then that something troubling came into view. His horse slowed its pace and his once stoic expression faltered tremendously by the sight. Up ahead, a family of otters consisting of a recently widowed husband, and two children stood outside their home along with a pig priest.

They were right in the middle of a funeral for the wife of the family who had suffered the plague. The priest suddenly turned, revealing his sickly face full of puss filled, black sores; one of the clear signs of the disease. Shadow's horse backed up getting spooked along with Shadow himself. Not wanting to get any closer, Shadow whipped his reins signaling for his horse to turn back. It may have seemed cowardly, but he could not risk himself getting sick now that he was king of Mobius. After several weeks, many had grown severely ill within the kingdom, and now the outbreak was rapidly spreading throughout the country.

•~•

Back in Mobius, Amy was busy handling the castle servants, diplomats, noblemen, and royals as more news came about the epidemic. Sonic, Pascal, Rouge, Tails, and Cream stood in the castle's crowd to listen to the announcement that was called for. At the front of the room, Amy stood before her people along with Isabelle and Espio. The crowd's chatter grew silent as Amy cleared her throat to speak. "We now have a name for this sickness that has plagued our lands. Our physicians are calling it The Black Death."

The gathered individuals all gasped in fear. Would this sickness claim their lives like the many others outside the castle walls too? Rouge and Cream shot each other concerned looks while Sonic remained surprisingly calm in the back with Pascal by his side. "You needn't worry, just take care of yourselves," Isabelle spoke trying to calm down the chatter.

One of the servants stepped forward. "Where is our young king now? I haven't seen him for nearly a day."

"King Shadow is safe," Amy answered. Although she was not completely truthful, she had to put on a brave show for her people. Shadow had gone outside the walls despite Amy's plea not to. But she could not risk the chance of panic among her people and say otherwise. "Please understand, you are all protected here," she assured. "And I have ordered for the castle to be secure to prevent the arrival of infection."

"-And what if the plague is already here?" another nobleman piped in. More chatter in the crowd started, even more, speculation by the thought.

"Anyone who is sick will be treated with dignity and kindness," Isabelle quickly clarified. "But if you feel unwell, we urge you to seek our expert care."

Amy nodded, agreeing with her majesty. "There are early signs of the sickness, but I'll allow Espio to speak of such," she said before stepping aside and allowing the chameleon to take the limelight.

Espio stepped forward. "You can expect fevers, the expulsion of blood, but more commonly, aches, pains, and bulbous sores that will burst," he explained. "The blackening of extremities. But most importantly, you all should know physical contact with others spreads the disease."

"Let me assure you again," Amy repeated stepping back upfront. "No one at court has shown any signs of the plague. Not one," she said explicitly. "…And I pray none will." The crowd remained silent, still skeptical of how severe this situation really was. Amy eyed her people, sensing their hesitance, but continued to hold her confident stance. "We are prepared and we are in the best position to survive."

"That is all, you may return to your quarters," Isabelle concluded.

The crowd slowly began to disperse, as chatter rose as the people left in different directions. "This seems more serious than Amy's letting on," Cream mumbled quietly to Rouge.

"I have to agree."

"Don't worry, girls. Just stay put in your chambers and you can ride this out," Tails assured.

"What about you?" Cream asked.

Tails smiled. "I'll be fine."

Just then, Rouge spotted Knuckles approaching from the other end of the room. "Knuckles!"

She went to hug him but Knuckles put his hand out causing her to halt in her tracks. "Don't." Rouge blinked in surprise by his actions. "We're not allowed to make contact," he reminded.

She lowered her outstretched arms. "That's right…"

"I just came to tell you that I'll be away for a bit."

"Whatever for?"

"I got a mission ordered by the queen herself," he answered. "I wanted to make sure I got a chance to see you, just in case."

Rouge's ears fell slightly. "Please don't say that…"

"I'm just being realistic, my love."

"Please be safe."

"I'll do my best," he smiled.

•~•

After the announcement, Amy, Sonic, Pascal, and Isabelle walked down one of the castle corridors together with a swarm of guards encircling them. "So, where's Shadow?" Sonic asked.

"I-I'm not exactly sure," she answered quietly. "I tried to stop him yesterday but he insisted he sees the severity outside the castle himself. He was worried about our people."

Isabelle scoffed. "How foolish…"

The three stopped in front of Sonic's bedroom doors. "I'm hoping he'll return since I sent guards to retrieve and escort him back to court," Amy replied optimistically.

"Well, there's nothing else we can do now… I'm going to head into my chambers," Sonic gestured before departing. "Keep me updated if you hear of Shadow's return." Amy nodded, acknowledging his request.

"Stay safe, my dear," Isabelle called to his retreating form.

"I love you, mother," he replied before shutting himself inside.

"What's going to happen to us?" Pascal asked once Sonic was back in his room.

Amy smiled down at him. "One of the servants is going to take you back to your room and look after you while I work."

"Will I see you again?" he asked, nervously.

"Of course, you will," she laughed. "You'll never lose me," she smiled.

•~•

Meanwhile outside the kingdom, Shadow continued his journey back to the castle on horseback. He had been riding for quite some time and noticed his horse growing tired and stopped to the side to allow it to rest. "There, there, Winnipeg. We're almost home. It's just another few hour away," he said stroking the back of her neck. But suddenly, Shadow's ears perked up in alert when he heard some branches rustling in the distance behind him. A group of villagers emerged and started to run towards him with knives and pitch forks.

"Grab him!" they shouted. "Royal scum!"

Shadow's horse quickly backed up, spooked by their sudden presence. Shadow held on to his reared up horse. "What is the meaning of this?" It was then that Shadow noticed that the group of male villagers all had signs of the illness. Large, black, puss filled boils covered their bodies, showing the sickness had taken them. "Stay back," Shadow warned after getting control of his horse.

The hostile group of commoners did not listen, forcing Shadow to flee. They chased after him while Shadow raced through the forest. He ducked past low-lying branches, as his horse gained speed, but when he looked back to make sure they weren't following, he missed the sight of a low lying branch that knocked him off his horse. Shadow fell backward with a hard thud on the ground, hitting the back of his head. As he lay on the ground in pain, his vision spun out of control as he tried to focus on the tree leaves above him.

His time to escape was running out as he heard the villagers getting closer and closer. Shadow tried to move but for some reason couldn't get his body to respond to his commands. He felt his vision and hearing start to fade. "No…" Before his vision dissipated, a shadowy figure came into view and hovered over him. He wasn't able to focus on the stranger for very long before he blacked out completely.

•~•

A bit later in Mobius, Amy and Isabelle sat together in the quiet and empty throne room. A set of guards stood watch at the entrance while Amy and Isabelle kept their post in their chairs. The silence had been long between the two queens until Isabelle directed her sight on Amy. "And here we are," she gestured. "The two of us." Amy continued to hold her silence only frustrating Isabelle further. "It's been hours now, where the hell is Shadow?"

Amy kept her eyes ahead of her, contemplating the same thought. She had sent guards, so what had happened? Before she could respond, somber violin music began to play from the halls, spooking both ladies. "What is that?" Amy asked looking around.

Isabelle's ears fell flat against her head suddenly feeling dread. "That's the signal that someone has fallen ill… It has begun."

The two guards suddenly left their post and walked towards two large metal barrels filled with wood in the middle of the room. They ignited the fire within the barrels creating a strong heat that would prevent any germs from nearing the two monarchs.

Amy swallowed a lump in her throat suddenly becoming very nervous. A few seconds later, Espio came into the throne room looking melancholy.

Amy sat more upright to address him. "Espio, what's happened?"

He remained by the fire. "Pascal fell ill an hour ago," he answered. "The sores are already in evidence and sadly he'll be dead within a day or two."

Amy looked shocked by the revelation. "…Pascal? How did this happen? He was fine last I saw him."

"One of the servants handling him came down with the sickness. He was in contact with them," he explained.

Amy placed a hand to her mouth. "Mercy…I can't come see him, can I?"

Espio shook his head. "Sadly it's too risky, my grace. I'll make sure he's as comfortable as he can be before his passing hour, but there's something else I need to inform you of," Espio noted.

"And what is that?"

"The guards you sent out, they've also returned to court, but one of them, a red echidna has signs of the illness. We've quarantined the set of guards in the catacombs for provision."

Amy's eyes widened in fear; what would she tell Rouge once she found out? She briefly pushed the thought away. "D-did they find any trace of Shadow?"

He shook his head solemnly. "No, I'm sorry, your grace. They were unable to locate him. From what I've gathered, it's becoming chaotic on the outside. Many of the villagers are burning their dead to halt the illness from spreading, but some of the fires are getting out of hand and hitting the surrounding forest."

This was not good. Not only were her people dying from a horrendous illness but her husband was now missing and presumably dead. For the first time in her reign, she was starting to feel the pressure.

There was a pause as Espio looked towards the floor contemplating a thought. In his own mind, he still felt optimistic that Shadow was alive, but he needed to find him fast. "If I have your blessing, I would like to volunteer myself to search for him."

Isabelle cocked a brow. "Sounds more like you're asking for a death sentence. Why in heavens do you think you'd have any better chance at locating the young king?"

"—Because, he believes himself to be immune to the plague," Amy clarified.

Isabelle shot her a befuddled glance causing Amy to continue her explanation. "Espio has lived in two regions that suffered from this outbreak before, and both times he was able to walk away with his life."

"Really?" Isabelle asked in intrigue.

"As for your offer, Espio, I cannot make the selfish decision."

Espio looked, taken aback. "What do you mean, my grace?"

"You're our only physician and a gifted one at best. Your skills are required here. If Shadow is still alive, he'll make it back to us in one piece, but right now, I cannot keep sending out soldiers to try to find him. I need them here."

Espio bowed respectively. "Very well."

•~•

Far away from the castle inside a tent, Shadow began to stir from unconsciousness. He grunted as he sat up slightly to gather his surroundings. As he opened his eyes, he looked down and noticed he was lying on a small cot with a fur throw covering his body. His head was still throbbing slightly from his fall, but he felt rejuvenated. It had dawned on him then that he had lost track of time.

How long had he been out for, a few minutes, hours, or days? Shadow swung his legs off the side of his bed and noticed his boots sat on the floor. He knelt down and began to put them on just when the flaps to the tent opened up. At that moment, a handsome young, brown, hedgehog with yellow eyes walked in wearing royal clothing similar to his own. He didn't look but a year or so younger than him as he gave a friendly smile . "Hello, your majesty. Nice to see you're finally awake," the stranger greeted.

Shadow stared at him suspiciously. Who was this male and why had he helped him? "I'm sorry, but you are..?"

The brown hedgehog chuckled slightly. "You don't recognize me?"

Shadow squinted his eyes, trying to recall any time in his life when he may have seen him, but instead drew a blank. "Uh, my apologies, but no…"

"My name is Cordovan," he introduced placing a hand on his own chest. "I'm your cousin, many times removed." Shadow blinked in surprise causing Cordovan to laugh at his confusion. "It's quite alright if you don't remember me, I only visited the castle a few times when I was young, and many of those times I did not stay for long."

"Prince Cordovan…" Shadow repeated, suddenly remembering his name. "You loved to race Sonic out behind the castle, enjoyed telling ghost stories late at night, and absolutely loathed studying foreign language."

"That's correct!" he smiled. "You know, you had me worried for a second. I was starting to wonder if that fall had done some damage," he cracked lightly.

"Yes, well…wait a second, what are you doing out in Mobius? Shouldn't you be in Knothole kingdom?"

"Funny you ask that. My brother had me on royal business to negotiate a deal with the Acorn Kingdom, but when we found out about the plague spreading through Mobius, it forced us to make camp here, safely away from other people. My brother did not want to risk any chance of the plague spreading to our lands so he placed a temporary ban on travel to Knothole until it passes."

"I see…"

"Yes, but might I ask why you were out on your own? Pardon my say, but it seems very rather risky for a newly crowned king to be alone," he gently scolded.

"I haven't been officially coronated, yet," he corrected. "But you're right, my wife already tried to stop me."

"Well, she'll be happy once she knows you're safe and sound. You almost had a nasty run in with those villagers back there, your highness."

He nodded. "Yes, you're right. Thank you for rescuing me. I owe you my life," he said taking a stand. "But, just a side note, you can address me as Shadow. We are related after all."

"Of course." Cordovan watched as he headed for the exit. "Uh, where are you going?"

He moved the tent flap to the side. "To my kingdom, where I'm needed."

The young prince followed him out. "You don't understand. You can't go!"

Shadow stopped in his tracks, confused by his statement. "Why not?"

"Fires are raging just outside the Mobius castle. "You'll have to wait until they squander to pass through." Shadow looked disappointed. He could only imagine how worried Amy was on his whereabouts.

•~•

The next day, Isabelle and Amy resumed their positions back on the throne. With still no word of Shadow presence, things were starting to look very grim. "He's not coming back, is he?" Isabelle asked quietly.

"He's still alive," Amy replied optimistically.

At that moment, a visitor came walking into the throne room. "Ahem."

The two female monarchs looked ahead, where a young gray echidna stood. He looked no older than Amy, as he tucked his arms behind his back. "Hello, your majesties," he greeted. "My name is Lord Flint and I've come to offer a proposal."

Amy shoved her emotions to the side and put on her strong façade. "And, what might that be?"

"Well, now that the fires have coursed the lands, those that live through this outbreak will suffer the famine due to the fires. I have already stored months of grains away before the fires hit and will supply them to you once this passes."

Amy listened carefully but felt skeptical about this offer. "That's a generous thought, Lord Flint, but what exactly do you expect on my end of this bargain?"

"I'm glad you asked, your highness. You see…you've allowed a certain nobleman from the neighboring village that my father and I have bad blood with to stay in the castle." He tapped his fingertips together villainously. "I propose placing him in the catacombs along with the sickly, in order for my grains to be spread fairly in your kingdom."

"And who exactly is this nobleman?" Isabelle inquired.

"His name is Lord Locke and I want him dead," he answered bluntly.

Amy shot him an incredulous look. "And what would my reason be for storing him with the sickly if he's not ill?"

"I'm sure you could come up with something," he retorted with a smirk.

Isabelle shook her head in disgust. "You have some nerve, Lord Flint."

The echidna shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say, I've learned from the best…my father."

Amy narrowed her eyes towards him. "Surely, there are other noblemen who can supply us."

"Correction, your majesty…there are none."

"How do you know?"

"I've talked to some of the noblemen here at court. Word has spread that their land has perished in some of the fires. They have no grain and I'm the only one who can supply you with food," he gloated proudly.

"I'm not going to go through with this," she said sternly.

Flint scowled at her response. "Your loss then." He began to leave the room but stopped just by the doors. "You'll regret this."

•~•

After Flint's departure, Amy visited Rouge's quarters to inform her of the bad news. Taking a deep breath, Amy knocked on her door and waited. A few moments later, Rouge cracked open her door to peek out. When it was open, she blinked in surprise by Amy's presence. "Amy, what are you doing here?"

Amy fumbled with her hands nervously. She knew the news would be hard to hear, but she needed Rouge to hear it from her. "There's something I need to tell you… and it's about Knuckles."

•~•

After delivering Rouge the hard news, Amy started her journey back to the throne room when another group of guards came her way. Based off their running and panicked faces, it looked urgent. "Your highness, something terrible has happened!" one of the guards spoke.

"What's going on?" Amy asked.

"Follow us, your majesty." With no other word, Amy was led to another floor of the castle where a noble family was staying to avoid the plague. Quickly, the guards opened the door to reveal the inside. As Amy stepped into the room, she gasped in horror at the sight before her. Inside the bedroom was a family of fifteen people all dead. Family members of all ages and genders were sprawled across the room, bleeding from their ears, eyes, and noses. By the sight of things, this was not from the plague, but from something more sinister. "According to Espio, they were poisoned, my grace," one of the guards explained.

Amy looked around sadly at the deceased family until she spotted a recognizable face. Lord Locke was lying on the floor, holding a goblet of split wine. How convenient that the one person she had been bribed to kill earlier was now dead. Amy's brows furrowed, knowing exactly who was responsible. She turned to her guards, anger rising. "Find Lord Flint and bring him to the throne room immediately."

•~•

Several minutes later, Flint was brought back to the throne room for questioning between Amy and Isabelle. "Did you change your mind, my grace?" he asked innocently.

"No, and even if I had, there would have been no way of me going through with it because someone got to Locke before I did."

"Really?" Flint said in feigned surprise.

"I know it was you."

He smirked, not bothering to play innocent any longer "I said you'd regret your decision."

"So you had to go and murder his entire family?" she said in disgust. "There were children!"

"They wouldn't have all had to suffer the same fate if you had just followed through," he said pointedly.

"You're right. There is something I should have followed through with in the first place." Flint eyed her with anticipation. "Guards," Amy commanded. "Take him to the catacombs where the sick reside."

Isabelle looked surprised by her demand. "Amy, you can't do this." Amy ignored Isabelle and instead focused on her subject.

Flint's eyes widened as the two guards standing post walked over and grabbed him by the arms. "She's right you can't, I demand you release me!"

Amy kept her eyes locked on him and stood. "You do not demand anything of me. You are my subject and I am your queen!"

"No, please, your highness!" he begged.

Amy slowly sat back down. "Take him away." The guards obliged and dragged him out of the throne room kicking and screaming.

"No, nooooo!" Isabelle and Amy watched as he struggled to drag his feet. "My father will get you for this!" he screamed.

"You're making a big mistake, Amy. When his father finds out-"

"-His father won't find out," Amy corrected looking hardened as she sat on her throne. "…Because he'll never find him."