Ok, so think of the previous chapter as a teaser.

Chapter 1: Crimson King Welcomes All

'I have loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore I die in exile'

Pope Gregory II

His back twitched like that of a cat's, rolling to the side to narrowly avoid an attack to his face as the other's sword came down upon him, staining the green grass in droplets of crimson blood as his face was grazed. He panted heavily, his vision suddenly lunging to the left, the wound on his side throbbing in complaint under a hand that clutched his side whilst the other helped him to his feet. A half closed and glazed over crimson eye flicked over his enemy, the both of them taking each others appearance once more.

He himself was a black furred hedgehog, his fur colored like that of a raven's. But he also supported bloody crimson streaks upon upturned quills, arms, and legs. He supported basic grey armor, designs craved into the metal shoulder pads to show his kingdom. His sword, Arondight, laid close besides him blood staining the sharp blade. He looked down towards his sword, flexing covered hands slowly. In an instant, they both lunged the armored other snarling as there swords came down harshly codling with each other. The ebony hedgehog's hands shook in exhaustion.

There blades had meet each other a second time before the unknown knight could behead the other.

The shadows around them grew, standing tall as the light slowly ebbed away into the afternoon. The darker furred hedgehog stood, proclaiming that he wasn't close to giving up, and charged. There blade came together with a mighty 'CLANG!' once more and there crimson streaked knight ,Lancelot, had to break the swords hold quickly. Since his side was wounded, and was made vulnerable in the position there swords collided. Though the stripped hedgehog's vision lunged suddenly in a shade of black along with a weakening in his knees and he didn't see the other's quick attack.

"AGH!" A scream shattered the previously calm sky, and a sob graced the air as the knave feel to his knees. Oh the irony! He had just left his home to venture out and become a knight, only to be defatted hours after his departure. A hand clutched the messy cut were his elbow used to reside, shacking as vision turned speckled in a red haze. A spray of blood tainted the air before Lancelot clasped blood. Pooling around his fallen form and dribbling from his mouth in two thin lines. The elder knight snickered, sheathing his duel swords and walking over to the fallen knave. He roughly searched the fallen for money or valuables, only to find none. As the hedgehog's money and other items laid in a large pack on his midnight colored horse that had fled long ago.

Lancelot weakly reached upwards, trying to clasp the other's neck in a death grip with his remaining hand. Only to remember his considerable blood loss, and his lack of a left hand to help clench the thief's throught . The other sneered and threw the weak hand from his neck before kicking Lancelot's side, flipping his face into his growing pool of blood. The fallen knight garbled out slurred words as he chocked on blood. Darkness moved to in to claim his consciousness as the other leap onto his horse that had hide in the thick bushes during the battle and trotted away. He would die in his own thick and warm blood, he couldn't sleep, he would die if he did. But his dark eyelids slowly slipped shut, sleep far too tempting at this point, his body relaxing and the grip on his severed arm loosing

-o-

He was an handsome hedgehog, and he was the youngest king the world had ever seen, as most rulers were within there 30's (He was 19). He was a sapphire colored hedgehog, peach arms and a circle of peach fur on his chest. His quills were long and downward pointing, regularly keeping a shinning wind swept appearance (Which quite suited him). An amazing looking crimson cape was clipped to his shoulder by a shinning gold pin that showing a curled dragon baby dragon clutching an orb, and a small golden crown set upon his head. Rather than the larger crown he wore to address his people, participate in certain events, and for marriage.

He was the king.

And currently he sat upon the finest stallion breeders could hope for, having been breed for his speed and endurance. The horse's coat was a shinning white color and the eye's a loving chestnut brown color. But that wasn't what had mattered at the moment, someone was in trouble, he had to aid them. As his other knights were scattered about the inside of the castle and on quests in other kingdoms, rather than being so far out into the outskirts of the castle. The blue hedgehog flicked the reins, starting the horse off into a fast gallop. A midnight horse had blurred past earlier, startling both him and the horse (almost causing the rider of his startled horse to go flying), blood slicking down the side of the horse from what he could see. And the king was fairly sure that the horse had ran from this direction, as there were smashed bushed and small broken branches. He spurred his horse onwards as speckles of blood became shown on parts of the trampled flora. Leaning closer to the horse's back to avoid getting whipped with branches, he raced through the forest towards a large clearing wondering what awaited him in his destination. Though the sapphire hedgehog soon came to a break neck stop once he arrived in the heavily blood stained clearing, letting a heavy gasp of shock escape while he jumped from his saddle to the ground below.

While searching the area, he found a dark mass of slickened down and matted fur. The creature's face down in a pool of a thick liquid in the shades of a large tree, shocking and bringing a gut retching feeling of fear and sadness. He ran towards the fallen bystander with out second thought. Gagging as his shoes were stained in a steadily growing puddle of blood that formed around the face down stranger. There was a loud ripping sound to break the silence as the panicked hedgehog tore his red silk cape into long strips, tying the shredded cloth over the weeping wounds. Praying to chaos the other male he had found survived, begging that the odd hedgehog before him didn't die from blood loss in his kings hands.

-0-

He groaned as he woke from his deep dreamless sleep, his body feeling numb and heavy. Heavy eyes opened to a blurry sight of a small clean room, a large unlit fire place across from the medium sized bed. Several blinks allowed the ebony furred hedgehog to see the room clearly. Long pain white drapes covering the large rounded window of the room. While there was two dark wooden carved dragons twining around one another on the shelf above the fire place, and upon the small nightstand laying beside Lancelot's bed oddly soft bed (As his at home was lumping and uncomfortable). A thin white wool blanket draped over his body stopping at his neck, while herbal plants laid on the dresser, as well as a few unimportant items to help with some sort of magic enchantment. Wondering were he was and how he got here, he let out another moan before raising a hand to massage his temples, only to let out a loud shriek in horror.

His left hand was gone.

Another horrified shriek coupled with a loud sob shuttering escaped (though no tears fell from Lancelot's eyes.), and crimson eyes dilated in horror as the previous events rushed into his mind at a startling speed. His only hand clutching the stump that remained in horror, while a certain startled king threw open the wooden door to the room. Slightly relieved to see his new visitor alive and well, though he was still very much concerned over his mental state. "I see that you've woken up my friend!" The king- now wearing a thin silk green cape upon his shoulders- awkwardly yet at the same time being very friendly and gentle with his tone of voice said. Very much taking into account that his comrade had gotten a rude awakening from his five day slumber.

"M-My King, Arthur!" The previously horrified hedgehog shouted in surprise, quickly composing himself before the ruler of his kingdom. Not wanting to be disrespectful or appear as a fool. But at the stuttered shout of recognition the kind hearted king could only let out a warm hearted laugh, while his emerald eyes shinned in amusement.

"Oh! Yes it's me! Though I'd rather like to know your name, my friend" The sapphire hedgehog said in a light hearted response, his good mood clearly showing.

"My name is Lancelot, my lord." Lancelot responded slightly bowing his head to show his respect. Since he didn't find the need to leap from the bed and stand from the bed and bow. Arthur (Called Sonic by his closest friends and personal servants) quietly nodded in recognition to show he heard the other give his name, letting a hum escape while trying to sneakily watch Lancelot observe his severed arm with sorrow. "My lordship," The darker started hesitantly breaking the silence. "I must ask, how I have survived such a harsh injury?"

"Well, I had torn my crape in order to stop your bleeding shortly after discovering in a clearing near by a village. Having followed the trail your startled horse had maid. And without a moment's hesitation after doing this I raced back to the castle and had my finest medicine brewers, Tikal and another by the name of Knuckles, do there best in order to help you. While I sent word to Merlina to return from her quest as soon as possible, and to bring all she could to help you. And she hastily came after a day or so to your bed, where you were slowly dying, and helped you recover significantly with her mastery over magic. After which you sleep for a few more days, in total making it 5 days since you passed out in this clearing. Now you tell me, what lead you to this...accident." Arthur finished, glad Lancelot was speaking with him. As something about the dark hedgehog attracted his undying attention.

"I..." Lancelot was fairly hesitant to reveal his lowly status but, decided to sick with the truth. As this was the king that had had saved him purely by luck. "I am a knave from the neighboring village to were you found me. I had begun my journey to become worthy of becoming a knight when I was ambushed by a cheating thief that nocked me from my horse. Soon leaving me to die with my arm...gone after a long battle." Lancelot quietly snarled, trying to contain the majority of his rage and hurt while in the presence of his king.

"I see... We'll have to deal with this thief at a later date. But first, can you try your luck with standing?" The emerald eyed hedgehog questioned, watching as the ebony hedgehog carefully (and a bit shakily) stand on his own without any audible response. Lancelot nodded his head in conformation once his balance was stabilized.

"Let us leave, your lordship"

DONE!

Hot damn that was a pain in the ass to write god damn it! At first I was simply going to continue from the previous chapter but I had decided that I'd rather not do so. And pass of the first as a preview for the beginning - since I couldn't think of a way to write a fairly long chapter (at least 1,000 to 2,000 words) with Shadow waking up in the beginning. And I could simply replace the first chapter with this- but then those who reviewed on the original copy wouldn't be able to review once more. So here we are the official chapter one!

Sorry for the large gap in updates, but writers block had given me a fairly bad infection as of late! Not to mention I've been on vacation, and on said vacation I've gotten to view a lovely church which I will be using in future chapters! Why does something tell me Mephiles will worm his way into this fic of mine and have him and Sonic bitch fight over Lancelot/ Shadow...Anyway, I aplogise for not directly thanking those that contributed to the favoring, following, and commenting of this story will do it in the next chapter though...

Thanks for your support, and don't forget to read and review.