Hello, hello!

Audience, good to see you again! It's been quite a busy 2ish months. I don't know how I even managed to finish this chapter. (I know it's past my original deadline shhh...) It's coming up on one in the morning for me and it's getting difficult to keep my eyes open. There's over 8,000 words when my original goal was 6,000. Thanks to my reviewers and a couple supportive friends, I powered through that last 2,000 words to tie up the chapter!

So I suppose this is the chapter you have all been waiting for. The chapter with all the romance! I'm not proud with the way I wrote it, but I am proud of the events that happened. Finally, the adventure can begin. :)

Responses to comments will be given at the end of the chapter since the author's note up here looked SUPER BOLDED CRAZY EVERY TIME I OPEN IT UP. XD

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sonic characters. I only own Blitz the hedgehog and Alfonso. LL belongs to Comrade Athelwine.

Enjoy~


~ o - Chapter 9 - o ~

The pungent smell of fresh manure didn't bother me in the least. Being around such animals my entire life, I had grown accustomed to their qualities. I did not fear the horses, in fact, I learned to nurture them and befriend them. At night, in my former life, I would sneak a horse out and ride it through the open unclaimed fields away from the Wilder Property. The cool air rushing against my skin, I bathed in the momentary sense of freedom, my only witnesses being the stars above and the amused eyes of the gods. I floated across fields, the silver strands of grass like an ocean under me. The horse's hooves thumped rhythmically with each stride as I thundered across the earth. I screamed and yelled at the top of my lungs, exhilarated with the adrenaline that pumped through me. It was a taste of independence, rich and addictive, that kept me savoring every moment I shared with the night. I only rode until my restless spirit was satisfied, or when the sun threatened to pop over the mountains and expose my temporary lawless escape.

Horse riding was a precious time for me, a way to find myself -or perhaps lose myself- in the vastness of the universe. I wondered if today would be a day I could feel a similar boundless exhilaration, or if I would be shackled to Sonic's side at a sluggish pace forcing an awkward conversation. I was hoping the former.

I followed LL past the rows of horses, their heads hanging over the sides of the wooden gates, shaking their mane and whining their eagerness.

"Sonic should be in this last row," LL said in a half whisper even though the horses easily concealed his voice, "Now, I'm not trying to tell you what to say, but I would advise you not to mention any castle affairs, especially anything that has to do with Alfonso. It's an unspoken topic within the castle walls."

I nodded, "I understand. I'll stay positive," I said with a smile.

LL smiled approvingly.

"Just relax. Woo him with your personality," he said, finishing with a wink.

As we approached the last row, my stomach began to tighten and I felt a wave of heat overcome me. My nerves ripped apart just thinking about the blue hedgehog. How would we ever find anything to talk about? We were two completely different people living in completely different worlds. There would be no common ground between us.

We turned the corner and he was at the very last stall, gently petting the nose of a white horse.

He immediately noticed us, turning with a smile, still holding the stallion's head in his hands.

"Glad you could make it," he said, looking directly at me.

I smiled back, trying to relax myself so I could conceal the true nervousness that was bubbling inside of me. It was a little disorienting to see Sonic in such casual clothes. His royal tunic and long immaculate pants made from fine fabric was now replaced with a loose dark green shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and black pants fit for working in.

"Good afternoon, your majesty, good to see you as always," LL said with a friendly smile.

Sonic nodded to him, "Same to you, LL. Thanks for escorting Lady Amy here."

LL casually bowed, "My pleasure. Shall I get Gerald to prepare a horse for the lady?"

Sonic shook his head, "I have it all handled," he spared a glance at me to see my reaction.

I smiled at him, pushing down all my nervous habits and trying to stay calm. I looked to the forest beyond.

"Great," I said, "let's get out there."

With fluid movements, he went back to the grayish nose of his stallion and began to pet it. His features softened as he looked upon his beast lovingly.

"Our new Stableboy needs to prepare your-"

A white wolf popped his head around the corner, "Your majesty, the stallion you ordered is-"

Suddenly noticing LL and me, he cut off the rest of his sentence. Feeling sheepish, he took a step back to defend himself with the edge of the wall.

"Ah, sorry to interrupt, your highness," he said in a softer tone.

Sonic put a reassuring hand to him, "you aren't, Kent. You're in perfect timing." With fluid movements, Sonic unlatched the gate to his white horse and swung it open. He took his horse by the reigns and led him out of his stall, "Could you please lead us to him?"

Kent nodded and we followed him.

LL walked next to Sonic, "I didn't know we got a new Stableboy," LL said, "What happened to Gerald?"

The blue hedgehog turned to LL, "Gerald's wife gave birth to their first son about a week ago. My father stationed him at a stable closer to his home so they could raise their child."

LL nodded, satisfied with his answer, "but who is...he?" LL jerked his head to Kent walking ahead of us.

The blue hedgehog breathed a small laugh, "Somehow I expected you to be curious. I only met the guy a couple days ago. Maybe you should go find out yourself."

LL's eyes were trained on the white wolf, "Perhaps I will."

From around the corner of the stables, Kent pulled a chestnut colored horse. He shook his mane and pounded his hooves against the earth impatiently. He swerved his head as if searching for his rider.

"He's perfect," I said with a smile, approaching the horse, "What's his name?"

"Spark." Kent patted the horse's shoulder, "He's been eager to ride for days now but each time he's gone out, he's been rebellious to his rider. Just a fair warning."

The horse lowered his head and took a sniff of my hair. With a satisfied grunt, he lowered his nose to my open hand, looking me in the eye with a glossy innocent gaze.

"I think I can handle him," I said with a smirk, running my hand down his neck to the saddle.

I mounted the saddle, excited with knew new height and power I felt on top of Spark. I took the reigns from Kent and settled into the feeling of being in control of the horse. He shifted a little, testing my balancing skills. I stayed planted and pulled at the reigns to point him to the open fields.

"Are you sure you can handle him?" Sonic asked.

With a playful smile, I said, "of course I can."

My anticipation built, the gates that had held back my urge to run free were beginning to slip. I clenched the reigns in my hands.

Sonic mounted his horse effortlessly, "Thank you, Kent." He looked between the two men, "We'll be back before sundown."

Kent's boyish complexion showed in his shy smile. His golden eyes flicked from Sonic to the ground, as if unsure wether to make eye contact or not.

"See you later, your highness," he said with a brief wave.

I glanced over at LL and found him lost in his own thoughts, gazing intently at Kent. He studied Kent like he was a new specimen on earth. Curious, intrigued, even suspicious of the young white wolf. Like a scholar, he looked upon him as a piece of knowledge that he desired to add to his collection of wisdom.

"Have fun you two," LL said evenly.

His eyes suddenly flicked to me, a mischievousness in his eyes. He winked to me and crossed his arms over his chest, watching me as I turned away.

I fell into the rhythmic rocking of Spark's body. Sonic steered his horse next to mine and we trotted together. The length of the grassy plains were before us, and the sudden urge to whip the reigns and take off across them nearly overcame me.

Instead, I exchanged a look with the blue hedgehog. He smiled a big hopeful white smile.

"Ready for a good time?" he asked, a teasing glow in his green eyes.

I tucked a stray hair back, "Always.".

~ o ~ o ~

My lawlessness got the best of me. The earth posed a challenge with it's vast empty horizons. The distant hills were beckoning to me, promising adventure.

I was at a breakneck pace, swerving through the trails in the forest. Trees and bushes rushed past me in a green blur. Spark vibrated with excitement, savoring the opportunity to run to his limits. My body was braced and coiled, my eyes trained on the bright open field in the distance.

The sound of galloping hooves escalated, and suddenly, breaking through the trees, was Sonic on his stallion.

I turned to him, finding him just as tense as I was. With a teasing smile, he looked over at me, his blue quills shuffling in his face. I shook my head at him, knowing he thought he was going to win.

The wall of trees around us broke through and the open yellow field poured out before us. I pulled up on Spark's reigns, my body uncoiling in relief. Breathing heavily, I steered Spark around to meet Sonic.

"Obviously, we all know who really owns these forests," I said breathlessly, a smirk on my face as I approached him.

His chest heaved with heavy breaths, looking me over with an excited gaze. His hair was tousled by the wind and his arms flexed with adrenaline -he looked a wild man. I wished he would always look at me like this. Untamed with a limitless amount of liveliness, all directed toward me. Any moment now, I expected him to rush over to me and do something crazy.

"Oh please," he said, rolling his eyes playfully, "Caliber and I strode through before you could even touch the ground!"

I crossed my arms and shook my head exaggeratedly, "That's not what I saw," I threw him a devious look, "Are you lying to me, Sonic?"

He lifted his chin, settling his green eyes on my sincerely, "I would never."

An uncontrollable smile crossed my face, "Then what was the outcome of this race, again?"

Sonic was silent, shaking his head amusedly as he guided Caliber alongside Spark. He stopped him right next to me, our feet in our stirrups close enough to touch. He was close now, my heart sped, noticing the way he kept eye contact with me. A genuine happiness danced in his eyes just looking at me.

"Okay, if I let you win, will you sit with me and let these poor exhausted horses graze for a bit?" he said smoothly.

I blushed, dropping my eyes momentarily to find my bearings, "I suppose I could settle for that."

"Great," he said, dismounting his horse.

I did the same, patting Spark on the neck in thanks for giving his all. Spark made an exhausted grunt, shaking his mane as if to say, 'it was nothing.'

The calming sounds of nature filled the silence between us as we unfastened our horse's gear. Sonic wandered away from Caliber, gazing upon a lone rock in the sea of swaying bright green grass. I watched him out of the corner of my eye as I wrapped Spark's ropes in my hand.

"I think I know a place we can sit," Sonic said over his shoulder.

I set the rope aside and approached him from behind. He turned halfway to me, his face still holding a lingering smile.

"You mean that rock over there?" I said, gesturing to the carriage-sized rock alone in the middle of the field.

"You wouldn't mind sitting on a rock, would you?" he said, with a teasing smile.

I shook my head jokingly, "Sorry, but I'm strictly couches and chairs."

He chuckled, beginning to walk ahead of me to the rock.

"Well if you want, you can sit on me," he said turning around to pat his thighs.

I jogged to catch up with him, "and which one are you? The couch or the chair?"

When I caught up with him, we were both smiling, both verging on giggle fits from our banter.

He put his index finger to his chin contemplatively, looking at the sky to feign serious thought.

"I've always thought of myself as more of a chair kind of guy," he said.

I laughed and the moment I regained myself, I found him looking at me. He was smiling sincerely, watching me in awe as I laughed at his jokes. I took a moment just to memorize his features: his bright eyes that slightly squinted when he smiled and laughed, his slightly tousled hair that made him look like he just rolled out of bed, and his smile -his perfectly straight white smile- that made my heart jump when he flashed me his trademark grin.

We came to the rock sooner than I had liked, breaking our short exchange of emotion. Sonic sat down at the foot of the rock in the dirt, one leg arched and the other one laid out.

"This seat is still open," he said, gesturing to his thighs.

Ever fiber of my being was telling me to sit in his lap. I wanted to be closer to him. Experience the heat that he emanated from him and bath in his earthly scent. My better judgement guided me to the dirt next to him.

I raised a playful eyebrow at him, "you wish the winner would grace your lap with her victorious rump," I said.

Sonic, looking a little surprised that I didn't take his offer, quickly regained himself.

"Hey, I'm just trying to be a nice guy here," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

The setting sun illuminated his profile, shadows emphasized the masculinity in his features. His relaxed eyes scanned the horizon, his muzzle was a healthy tan color, and his lips were slackened as though preparing for a kiss.

"How long-" I had to clear my throat of it's dryness. He turned to me, shaken out of his daze, "how long have you had Caliber?"

He nodded, "about eight years. I got him when I was ten after I had driven my father crazy about wanting a horse like the knights had."

"You wanted to be like a knight?"

He laughed, "what boy didn't want to be a knight? Even destined to take the throne, I wanted to be a knight taking down armies on horseback."

I looked at him incredulously, "you wanted to be a mass murderer?"

He laughed again, "there's a fine line between gallant knight and psychopathic killer." He raised an eyebrow at me, "besides, it's that the equivalent of a girl wanting to be a princess?"

I blinked confusedly at him, "What do you mean?"

He shrugged, looking away, "Well I always thought every girl wanted to be a princess..."

A fire licked at the inside of my stomach, frustrated with the way he assumed that all girls wished to be at his level in society. How he assumed that all girls wanted to be dough-head do-nothing people who are just given things without earning it. How all girls just dream of marrying someone like him. Or maybe even dream of marry him.

I shifted in the dirt, "well I think you got your stereotype wrong on that one." I said sarcastically, folding my arms across my chest. "Not all of us girls wanted to be spoiled brats when we grow up."

His voice dropped to a sterner tone, "I've met princesses and not all of them are spoiled brats. Most of them are pretty nice."

I was suddenly frustrated with the fact that he was defending the girls that had teased me from afar at the feast. They looked down upon me in every way and had seen me as nothing but dirt since the day I was born. Their fake sweetness has made him blind to their true degrading intentions.

"They're nice to you because you're the prince. Believe me, if you could see from my perspective, they're not the kind of people you would want to model yourself after."

Sonic was silent. I immediately hated myself for speaking so freely about my harsh opinions in front of the prince. Of course he would side with the princesses, he had grown up with them around him. They were childhood friends.

"I guess you're right," he said in a softer tone.

I looked over to him sympathetically, "You don't have to agree with me, that's just..." my voice faded. "That's just how I see it."

"No," he said soberly, "I actually understand."

Silence settled heavily over us like a blanket. I arched my legs to my chest, pressing them hard to me in hope of curling up and disappearing. I let my eyes drop to the grass that swayed before us in the light breeze.

"What did you want to be?" he said gently, "When you were a kid, I mean."

Glancing over at him, I found his calm green eyes studying my face. There was a tiredness to him as he watched me, sweeping my face as if searching for something. I reverted back to the grass, tucking my chin into my arms in hope of concealing my blush and to shake his tender eyes off my skin.

"The best person I can be," I said in almost a whisper.

I knew he was still looking at me, I could feel his eyes roaming my profile. Hesitantly, I glanced at him. I held his emerald gaze, in awe at how the shadows made his eyes look more illuminated. A deep spark of warmth settled in my stomach as moments passed.

"That's something I can respect," he said in a truthful tone.

Mentally, I shook myself out of my daze, briefly studying his face before looking away again. Little did he know, my younger self thought her destiny had been decided for her since the day she was born. My destiny was to have no destiny. No hope. No dreams. I thought I was going to work until the day I died. I never truly accepted it, but it was enough to discourage me from dreams of knights and princesses.

"And if it's any consolation," he suddenly seemed so much closer to me, like he was whispering in my ear. "I think you're pretty great right now."

I couldn't help but smile, a trail of warm vibrations running down my spine. I glanced up at him.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

He was silent for a moment, letting the words sink in. I basked in the warm feeling of his words.

"Then again, I've only been talking to you for a few hours," he said suddenly, in a more lighthearted tone. "Who knows? Maybe you're actually a complete weirdo."

I could hear him snickering at his joke and I pressed back a laugh. My smile was uncontrollable and on instinct I hit his arm playfully.

"Amy Rose has some hidden aggression too," he laughed, holding the bicep that I hit. "I really don't know you."

Suddenly feeling happier, I lifted my head off my knees and looked him in the eye.

"You're right. I'm not the girl you think I am," I said, forcing back an emerging smile, "I'm actually...evil."

He faked a gasp, "Wait. Are you planning to take over the world?"

I threw my hands up, faking exasperation, "You won't even let me get to my monologue, Sonic!"

He put his hand up as if to defend himself.

"Sorry about that!" He said, "but this just reminded me, for some reason," he flipped his hand around as if he was rolling the idea in the air before him, "of a story. The time LL tried to convince me that the blacksmith was evil."

I giggled, "Wait. What?"

He fidgeted in place, looking away as if ashamed by just the thought of it.

"Bear in mind, I was eleven at the time and very gullible," he said as a disclaimer.

"I'd love to hear it," I said, leaning back against the rock to get comfortable.

Unconsciously, he turned more toward me to speak. An embarrassed smile overcame his features, making him look boyish and -more importantly- normal. Like a man who made mistakes and was openly admitting to it. The confidence he had in holding my gaze turned into flitted glances towards the ground.

"Now this isn't a story I would tell just anyone, you know," he said with a shy smile.

I sat up more, making my best attempt to be polite.

"You can trust me." I offered a reassuring smile, "Besides, I'd say I'm not just anyone. Legendary Guardian, remember?"

I pushed away the hollow feeling that came with using that title. Sonic scooted closer to me, his knee touching mine. Instantly, his heat transferred to me. I was very aware of his presence. I had the sudden urge to reach out and touch him, take more of his warmth. Be closer to him.

"You're right. You're not just anyone," there was a tenderness to his smile. "You're definitely something different."

~ o ~ o ~

Our laughs harmonized, the both of us folding over our horses. The horses were unfazed, continuing their lazy trot down the dirt path back to the castle.

Sonic's breathy laugh stimulated a happiness in me that I had never felt before. Watching his features soften into laugher, squeezing his eyes shut, the way his white smile burst across his face -it was all contagious. I could get enough of it.

"No, no," I breathed between fits, holding up my hand as if I could stop the giggles, "that's not even the best part."

A lingering smile settled on his face, his eyes wide in anticipation.

I swallowed before starting, "So Blitz, in the middle of my training session, starts surveying the room," -I thought of the way Blitz stood as he mused- "then, out of the blue, he says, 'we should get an orchestra in here.'"

Sonic laughed, covering his face with his hand.

"And then-" watching Sonic laugh made a giggle a bit, "And then he starts planning it out, saying things like, 'yeah, right there in the corner.'"

I laughed, still imagining Blitz's amused face as he looked at me through his sandy blonde hair. A glint of mischief in his blue eyes.

"He turns to me and says, 'sword fighting would be killer. Possibly quite literally... Wait!' then he turned to me, 'now I see the problem.'"

Sonic broke into more laughter, holding his stomach, "Chaos!" he said between breaths, "that sounds exactly like him!"

I rubbed my stomach from laughing so hard, "and he's always like that when he trains?"

Sonic shook his head, finding his bearings as he came out of his laughing fit.

"Oh no," he said, "not at all. When Blitz trains, he trains. He'll work himself half to death trying to master something."

I shook my head, steering Spark towards the middle of the path.

"But his personality is so different."

"What? Did you expect him to be like Shadow?" Sonic said with a teasing grin.

I scoffed, pushing my bangs back again, "I didn't know what to expect."

He watched me, puzzled. I carefully watched the canopy of leaves that passed us at a lazy pace, pretending to be unaware of his stare.

"Did it ever even cross your mind that you could be the Chaos Guardian?" he asked suddenly, a more intrigued tone.

I took a moment to think about it before I looked down at the reins in my hands, "I didn't even know what it was until the Knighting Ceremony."

He was pensive, staring forward into the air searching for an answer. The lightheartedness of our previous conversation left. LL had warned me earlier this morning that he would ask questions about me being the Chaos Guardian. My faith, my origins, my history -he would nitpick at everything I knew. Up until this point, LL was wrong. The topic had gone happily unspoken. Now, returning to the castle in the dim evening light, the inevitable suspicion dominated our conversation.

"Did you have...signs? Like some powers early on?" he asked.

My heart sunk, upset with the mood shift, "yeah I saw some kind of smoke inside people. I think it has something to do with spirit or something."

Mentally, I shook my head shamefully. How did I still not know anything about a Chaos Guardian? I didn't know the true signs. How was I even sure the mist I saw was a sign?

"How well can you control the power?" he asked.

I bit my lip, "uh, it's a little hard to control. I just need some training."

Chaos, who was I kidding? I didn't have power! Even if I did, I didn't want to attempt controlling it! I was unfit for it; feeble and breakable both physically and mentally. Fear prevented me from doing anything outside of what I was comfortable with. If I had a choice in the matter, I may have stayed living as a peasant rather than living as a fraud legendary Guardian in constant fear of being caught and killed.

"Do you want me to get Shadow to help you with that?" Sonic continued.

I shook my head, "no, no," my mouth felt a little dry as I tried to think of a good excuse. "The only person that can figure this out is me. I'm hoping...meditation...will help me center my...power."

"Meditation?" Sonic narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Are you sure I shouldn't get Shadow to help you?"

I huffed. How could I have been so stupid? Of course the main reason he asked me on this date was to question me about being a Chaos Guardian. I should have known better than to think he asked me because he actually wanted to spend time with me.

"Sure," I said sharply, "just go and force Shadow to assist poor little me. I obviously don't know what I'm doing."

I urged Spark on. With a disturbed grunt, Spark trotted ahead of Sonic and Caliber. I was ready to get back to my room. Just get in the shower and forget all the fun I had with Sonic. His princely side would forever be a part of him. He would never just be a real person. That distinction would forever prevent me from being with the real Sonic.

"Hey!" I heard him call, Caliber's hooves approaching nearby.

He came up close to me, our feet nearly touching. I could feel his presence close to me, but I didn't dare look at him. I needed to stay focused on what was important. Right now, that was getting back to my room.

"Did I offend you?" he asked in a hesitant, soft tone.

My back straightened with frustration. I spared a glance his way, but only to look at his hair, his shoulder, his shirt, his hands -anything but his hypnotic eyes.

"Sonic," Saying his name startled me. It had a kick to it, like tasting something extra sweet, "if you wanted to know more about me being the Chaos Guardian, you could have just asked. You didn't need to make a big deal out of it and take me out to ask me."

I focused on the trail before me, not wanting to see his reaction but subconsciously having it play in my mind. It was too easy to imagine his face now. How his features molded to his emotions so flawlessly. Sad, happy, or somewhere in between, he always looked like a god. And I wanted him for being so perfect. He was too easy to fall for and that frustrated me the most. I wished I could gallop away and pretend this never happened. Pretend that this date didn't mean anything to me. Pretend that I had known this didn't mean anything to Sonic.

"That's not what this is about," he said with sudden conviction, "I asked you on this ride to relax you. We were both stressed and -I don't know about you- but this really helped me."

Heat rushed to my face. I was suddenly drawn to look at him to see if it was true. Sonic's emerald eyes flicked up to meet mine. A connection sparked immediately as we held each other's gazes. The faintest smile formed on his lips, a hesitant shy smile. A smile that said 'I mean that.'

"This helped me too," I said, holding his gaze for as long as I could before shyly looking away. "But only because you treated me like a person." I licked my lips, "all I want is to be treated like Amy Rose. Not as a Chaos Guardian or lady of the castle."

We pulled our horses into the stalls and two servants came out of seemingly nowhere to take Spark and Caliber away. Silently, Sonic considered what I had said, looking over at me occasionally as if to check if I was still there.

"You have a point there," Sonic said.

He dismounted his horse with effortless grace. He didn't even look like he was trying- the way he swung his leg over the horse and leapt off. It was a comfort to watch him- like he was a dancer. He clearly knew exactly what he was doing.

I swung my leg over and hit the ground. The ground swayed underneath me a bit before I caught my bearings. After giving the reins to a servant, I turned and found Sonic already approaching me. He was smiling gently, like a leftover smile from our adventure. Part of me was sad it had to end, but the other smaller part of me felt relieved to distance myself from him.

Just as fast the servants came, they vanished, leaving Sonic and me alone in the cool dusk air.

"How about this," he said, a knowing smile crossing his lips, "I'll treat you like a normal person if you treat me like a normal person." He took a half step forward, bringing himself a little closer to my face. "No fronts, no titles, no formalities -just normal people."

I had to say, the deal sounded better than I ever could have hoped. He was making it personal. It was an invitation to see each other on a more natural level, without the restraints of the castle keeping us separated. I was special -just a little bit- to have this secret world with him. Where we could laugh and tell stories and pretend we weren't royals with responsibilities to the people of Solstice. That there would be no doubt of superficiality, just completely open.

"Deal," I said, smiling up at him, "but you'll find I won't treat you any differently."

"That's what I was hoping for."

I pushed a strand of my hair back silently, looking up at him with a smile that he gladly returned.

"Prove it," he said, a playful challenge in his voice. His white teeth lit up the evening light, "come to the royal banquet with me tonight?"

A warmth licked at my stomach. I couldn't find my breath to answer right away. Momentarily, I was frozen in disbelief. He's asking me out again!

"I -I don't know, the other royals don't seem to enjoy my company," I laughed breathlessly, twisting the end of my long sleeve shirt, looking away nervously.

His hands came up like he wanted to hold me, but hesitated like he didn't know what to do with himself.

"You'll sit next to me and I'll be your company," he said in a softer tone.

I pursed my lips, glancing at him to asses his reaction. How bad did he want this? Did this mean something? That he...have an interest in me?

I smiled, mentally shaking my head. I can't get too ahead of myself. I don't wanna ruin this.

I giggled a bit, "okay," I said, "but I'm allowed to shower first, right?"

He laughed, "Of course." His limbs seemed to relax all at once. He began walking backwards, anxious to get to his room. "The banquet starts at eight. I'll send someone up to escort you."

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him playfully, "Hm, that doesn't seem like something a normal person would do."

He smiled again. No matter how many times I had seen it today, it would never grow old.

"Okay, I'll be at your door at 7:50," he said.

"Sounds good to me," I said, feeling strange being at the stables by myself.

He lingered a moment longer, looking at me from across the stables. Once reaching the end, he turned reluctantly and disappeared behind the wall.

Warmth and coldness swirled inside me. I was going to the banquet with Sonic. This had to mean something. Something must have gone right. Could it be that I just gained the favor of the prince?

Just as the happy thoughts had overcome me, the cold slap of dusk air brought me back to reality. With a swift hesitant look around I realized I was alone. Alone in a dark and unfamiliar place with no direction of where to go.

How did I always end up like this?

~ o ~ o ~

No introductions, no prompts, no warnings whatsoever, I was just thrown head long into the most boring banquet ever. To say the least, my expectations were not met.

The room was about half the size of the Grand Dining Room, but only fit a long wooden table in the middle of the room. During the day, sunshine shone through the tall windows that lined the three walls, making a beautiful and peaceful setting. Now that night had set upon us, the windows just seemed like black tarps hanging on the wall. A gateway to an abyss. There was an eeriness to looking out and seeing nothing but black.

I wished for the spacious Grand Dining Room, where there was an area to mingle and at least exchange awkward glances discreetly. Here, these "Councilmen," as Sonic had whispered to me, slid glances at each other without bothering to hide the disturbance they felt. One or two glances were geared towards me, but they weren't as much irritated as they were scornful. They looked down upon me from across the table like I was a stack of garbage that had just randomly appeared in the chair next to Sonic. After a couple glances, I learned to keep my head down and just focus on my plate -or on Sonic when he would contribute to the conversation every once in awhile.

Somehow the business-like setting continued as if the irritated glances were natural. The conversation managed to stay on politics and business and foreign affairs despite the fact they were debating across the table like they would at a family dinner. They maintained their manner -as you would expect any snobby middle-aged man to do- with their chins held high, their opinions in your face, and taking every opportunity to prove you wrong.

My eyelids felt like lead and my stomach was comfortably full. The drone of conversation beckoned me to sleep. I found myself staring mindlessly into my plain empty plate wishing I didn't accept Sonic's offer. I wished I would have just left him on a good note and saved myself the torture. He couldn't talk to me during this anyway because he was so busy answering questions! What was he thinking asking me to this?!

The king laughed a hearty laugh, taking my attention away from the plate. Although the king was still weak, he could put up a front of health like no one else could. He gesticulated largely and cracked jokes with his robust voice, rich like his royal blood. The king had LL's shoulder in his hand, shaking him around playfully like they were uncle and nephew. The both of them had smiles on their face from whatever joke was told. I watched LL, fascinated by the way he worked the crowd of Councilmen. Contributing his intelligent views and statistics to the group, but never dominating the conversation. He left that for the king and they worked off each other like a well-oiled machine. The king looked upon LL with a proudness I would never experience.

I sighed -probably for the hundredth time that night- and slumped my shoulders. How did LL do that? Make every situation work? More importantly, how were they managing to have so much fun talking about the kingdom's affairs?

Sonic nudged me with his elbow. I swept my eyes up to him, shooting him an innocent look in hope that he wouldn't think me rude for being so unsocial. He forced a smiled at me, then searched my face for a reaction. I knew what he was trying to say: Having fun?

And to that my answer would be: Ha. Nice joke.

I forced a thin, effortless smile back, too tired to bother with a sweet front. Besides, did we promise to be open with each other? Sonic's face sobered, disappointment rushing over his features. His eyebrows came together a bit, thinking intently as he stared at me.

The voices suddenly dropped in volume, the temperature of the room dropping with it. Turning anxiously to the men, I found them all looking in one direction, a distrustful look on their faces.

"Pardon the interruption, my king," said a deep voice.

A muscular man stood like a mountain at the end of the room. Arms crossed, his muscles bulged from his sleeveless shirt. He was a grey Doberman, with a square jaw and a permanent scowl on his face. With beady black eyes, he surveyed the group with contempt.

"What is it you need, Sir Lionel?" The king asked, a sobering smile on his face.

The Doberman shifted his glare to the golden hedgehog next to him.

"A word with Lord Linnattan, my king," he said, his voice flat and unfriendly.

All eyes shifted to LL for a reaction, but LL took a swig of his wine and stood up with the same amount of excitement as if he was going to a party.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," LL said to Sir Lionel. He put a hand on the king's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, your majesty, I'll be back within the next half hour to tell you the rest of that story."

The king chuckled, putting his own hand over LL's, "I shall be awaiting anxiously, Leo." The king looked to the brooding Doberman, "you'll also need to explain your newfound affiliation with weapons! It must be quite strong if you have gone as far as asking the Weapon Master for assistance!"

As if a bucket of freezing water had been poured over me, a biting coolness washed over my skin. Looking at the Doberman now, I put together the significance. The sudden realization of the situation unfolding in front of me.

That man was at the Knighting Ceremony. They almost killed Knuckles.

And now, they were planning something else.

How could I have been so naive? It all made sense now. LL wanted to be on my good side so I wouldn't pay attention to his underground conspiring. The deal he made, the assistance he was giving me, the information he was feeding me -it was all a way to get me to latch on to him and overlook whatever crime he was scheming.

LL patted the king on the shoulder with a smile. He turned towards me briefly and shot me a smile. Before, I would have taken that smile as a sense of affection, but now it looked forced and plastic. I smiled a thin lipped smile, pushing down the urge to glare at him.

The Doberman and LL left the room, turning down the left hallway when they exited.

The left hallway. Remember that.

The volume began to escalate again. Not wanting to be caught in the midst of a heated argument, I cleared my throat and folded my napkin on the table.

"I'm sorry," I said, forcing a sweet smile, "may I be excused?"

Sonic's eyes immediately darted to me, a mixture of confusion and hurt. The king flicked a gracious hand to me.

"Of course, Lady Rose," he said.

I stood up from the table, refusing to look at Sonic as I walked away. There was no time to conjure up a good excuse. There was no split-second expression I could throw him to reassure him that it wasn't his fault for my exit. I continued to the door and turned left down the hallway, hoping I would have the chance to give Sonic an excuse later.

I listened intently for voices, hoping to hear LL's energetic voice through the walls. Just as I was doubting how far I had gone down the hallway, I heard the deep, droning voice of the Weapon Master just down a flight of stairs.

I descended into the darkness, the dim lamps guiding me. I hesitantly walked forward, feeling as though the walls were closing in around me. I followed the sounds of their voices and caught only bits of it: "missing weapons -profitable -suspicious -offer."

With every step I took, I became more and more aware of what I was getting myself into. If I was caught, they would surely kill me, detain me, or threaten me to keep my mouth shut. Every step became more cautious, my senses awakening from a sleepy haze. I paused on a corner, noting the strange silvery light that emanated from the end of the end of the hallway they proceeded. I peeked around the corner and found they were entering through a glass door into dark vegetation. A giant courtyard within the castle.

Sliding across the length of the wall, I made my way to to the door. I stayed in the shadows, my heart jumping when I had to quickly leap through beams of moonlight. I pulled my hair back out of my face, hesitantly looking through the glass door. The two stood near the center of the small courtyard, just between two rose bushes. With a gentle hand, I tested the door, pushing it open a little with my hand. The door was silent. I checked to see if either of them noticed. They were engrossed in their stern conversation. I crouched down and slipped through, using the shadows of the bushes as my cover.

I moved in the tunnel of foliage around the circumference of the courtyard, keeping my eyes on the two. I wasn't close enough to hear their conversation, so I dashed out to crouch behind a statue of a bird gracefully posing with a pot in her arms.

My breaths were shallow, my skin was cold, and my senses were ablaze with fear.

"Hard working blacksmiths loyal to the castle made those weapons for our knights." LL's voice was colder than the air, "Do you feel no remorse for what you have profited from?"

Though I didn't see his face, I could imagine him unfazed, "don't be so hypocritical, Leonardo. We have both done things behind the backs of the royals."

The air stiffened, "I suppose it all comes down to your skills of evading the consequences," LL said evenly, "skills you don't possess."

"Look," Sir Lionel said, "I didn't pull you out of your pathetic tea party to get criticized for my choice in income. We had a deal and I want my money now."

The Weapon Master's voice hit a dangerous tone, and I could imagine him up in LL's face with a stern scowl. I clutched the stone statue, my body tense with anger.

I knew it. I told myself. LL was conducting the crimes.

"After hearing of your profit selling castle weapons to possible rebels, I believe our deal is void," I had never heard LL so severe. "You have gone behind my back and taken from the castle. I can cover so much, but I cannot cover for your blunder."

Seeing LL so dangerous scared me. He led a line of criminals like a ruthless gang member, gaining profit by going behind the backs of the royals. But what was more scary, was that he was so good at hiding it.

"You are of no use to me," LL said disdainfully.

Sir Lionel made a noise of contempt, "it's your loss, Leonardo. You will pay."

I chose this time to peek around the corner of the statue. Sir Lionel had his arms crossed again, anger creasing his face. LL's back was to me, but judging by his body language, he was calmer than his business partner.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you," LL said, sarcasm coating his words.

Sir Lionel's face flashed with confusion. A sound similar to a utensil hitting glass echoed in the air almost silently. Moments later, the hum of slicing thin metal cut through the air. Like a silver lightning bolt, a gleam of metal flashed in the moonlight, impacting Sir Lionel right in the chest. He stumbled back, surprised by the hit.

My breath caught in my chest. His blood looked black in the night as it dripped down his shirt in a raging flow. The Master looked up at LL with wild eyes.

"You...betrayed me," he choked, grasping for the handle of the knife weakly.

"On the contrary, Sir Lionel," LL was emotionless, "you brought this upon yourself."

The 'ting' of echoing glass signaled the final blow. The metal sliced through the air and came piercing through his left eye with deathly precision. The man fell silently to the ground. LL stood stoically over his body, more still than the statue I cowered behind.

The light thump of something heavy hit the grass across the courtyard. I turned cautiously as the figure in a long black coat approached LL. Pushing myself further into the shadow, I watched LL face the dark Angel of Death.

My body had gone numb. I needed to leave but I only wanted to cower in the shadows forever. LL was ruthless. Worse than ruthless. He was a killer. Everyone in the castle was a killer. They had no hearts. They had no conscious. They were all empty. Tomorrow LL would greet me in the morning with a flawless smile, hug me like there was warmth in his heart he was willing to share.

I crawled into the tunnel of foliage, swiftly moving back to the glass door.

He was disgusting. The man that advised the king was killing the people in the castle. Tomorrow, when asked about his disappearance, he would say something on the lines of, "he went off to marry his sweetheart. He's been relocated."

I reached the door and slid it open quietly. A 'ting' rang through the air.

Silver imbedded into the wall, pinning my sleeve. Fear scattered any reflex to scream. I stared at the knife inches from my flesh.

"Amy, stay right there," LL said sternly.

I glanced back at him and saw the hooded killer with another knife in their hand. Fear and adrenaline fueled me. I pulled my arm and the fabric tore but the knife stayed in place. I stumbled for the handle of the door and swung it open, sprinting into the pitch black darkness of the hallway.

"Amy!" I heard LL call.

The silvery moonlight left me alone to stumble through the darkness. I didn't feel like I was running fast enough, I struggled with finding the hallway to the stairs. Behind me, footsteps echoed.

I took a sharp turn and nearly tripped on the stairs as I ascended. My pursuer was fast, turning the corner and pounded up the stairs after me.

I wanted to scream down the hallway and hope a guard would protect me. That Knuckles would jump out and detain this murderer. But I was afraid if I made any noise, there would be a knife in my back to shut me up.

I glanced behind me and found the hooded killer was running after me. I sprinted harder than I ever had before, turning down the hallway and aiming right for the door to the banquet.

"Amy, stop," demanded the hooded killer.

Something nagged at me. Something about his voice. I didn't have time to consider it before I burst through the door at slamming speed.

The entire room hushed in an instant, all eyes on me. The guards next to the door had their hands on their weapons.

"What's the matter, Lady Rose?" the king rose to his feet to address me.

I huffed a breath, slamming the door shut. I kept my eyes on the door, half hoping the killer would run through and the guards would take him down.

"It's-"

A piercing crash of glass cut me off. The window on the opposite side of the room shattered. My heart jumped yet again, the people at the table all jumped away except for one.

"TRAVIS!" yelled a Councilman.

The Councilman had his hand on the back of a feline. He was face down on his plate, an arrow sticking out of his skull.

The guards had drawn their swords now. The guests backed up from the table. I didn't dare move.

A symphony of breaking glass filled my ears. Covering my face, I stumbled away from the raining shards, blindly searching for the door. When I lifted my head, ten men in black uniform and white masks stood menacingly in the room. They drew their bows and swung their swords with an eagerness to engage.

For a moment, everyone was still. Time had frozen so I could comprehend what was happening, but the reality of it was too harsh.

In the next moment, Sonic had me by the wrist, pulling me into the hallway as all hell broke loose.

~ o ~


Wow, did you make it through all that? I was sure you would explode from the romance/action/death combo. x)

I know I'm really bad at writing romantic banter. Feel free to tell me how awkward it was in the reviews. Also, sorry about the cliffhanger! You can only put so much action in one story before it becomes brain melting...

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING WHO REVIEWED:

Snowy Dawn: I'm sorry you saw Knuckles x Amy. I think you need to cleanse your mind with some soap. They'll only be brother/sister! Chaos warning Amy? Awesome theory! Let me use my psychic powers and guess what's going to happen... *looks into crystal ball* I see...*falls asleep* *wakes up* Hope you were mind blown in this chapter!

Zelzania and Lina: Thanks! I appreciate that you leave reviews! Means a lot to me! And I would never want to punch you in the face with Sonic x Amy...OH CHAOS I DID IN THIS CHAPTER. D: Is your face okay!?

PoeticLover1996: Well I ramped up the Sonic x Amy in this chapter so I hope you were blown away even more! I always strive to impress and bring new material. I'm glad you appreciate it! Thank you for thanking me while I thank you for leaving a review. x)

Adorablehedgi12: ME? Your FAVORITE Sonic Fan Fiction? *dies* Thank you! I applaud YOU for your support! You're the reason I keep writing!

Alesia: Okay so this chapter wasn't exactly put out "soon" but it is here for your enjoyment now!

Guest: I know there might be a confusion here...but bear with me as I try to figure out who's who. XD I'm glad one of you is GuessWho now.

To the Guest that replied 9/16 - I always strive to make my story better. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

To the Guest that reviewed 9/17 - I'll catch you! *catches you* Nah, it's just an awkward sentence. I should really fix that into something more reasonable...SONAMY IS HERE 4U

And to Guest that reviewed 10/5 - it's okay, I've been busy too! And look at the hugest Sonamy moment up there! Did you like? DID YOU? And wow great theories! So if AMy can predict the future...Does that mean Sonic is going to kill Amy!? :O DUN DUN DUUUNNNN! I say no more of that x) Acorn - Sally and Aurora - *gasp* Actually not Blaze! If you want a hint, it's a character that enjoys stealing jewels... And when I say Fey birthed children, I meant like..he got married and had children. Sorry that wasn't clear! But who was the girl he married? Hmmmm.. And thanks for the review! I got really excited reading yours! :D

No Name: You're supposed to feel that confusion. ;) I guess we won't know until later chapters! Until then, enjoy this one! (P.S: Now that you mention it, I'm hungry too XD)

Amazing: *waves to crowd* Oh, why thank you! ^^ Wait...wait I just wrote a Sonamy chapter... *starts running from Sonamy fans* Don't glomp me! O-O

Dragon Princess65: *throws papers around* OH GOD I HOPE YOU DIDN'T DIE! Keep breathing! You're going to need it if you wanna make it through this chapter!

Pyro524: Where I came up with this - the "Guardian" is loosely based off of the Avatar in Avatar: The Last Airbender and now Legend of Korra. I just happened to read a lot of medieval setting stories over the summer and the rest of it is loosely based off of movie scenes I watched over the summer. I just liked how they set up the twists and so I'm trying to get that same suspense in my story.. Can you feel it? x)

Backstory on Blitz and Scourge - Why settle for just those two character when you can have backstories on ALL the characters? x) Not in this chapter. But they will all have their chance to explain themselves. ALL of them have a lot of explaining to do...

No trouble at all! In fact, it's a pleasure. :) Enjoy the chapter!

Guest123: I have many ideas for stories! This one was just fully developed and easy to write about. I have three other ideas for stories, but it all comes down to how much time I have to complete each. If you're lucky, I might put out a sequel to this one! (Depends on demand. :P)

Thank you all so much! I never thought I would get this far, you guys keep me going!

Blitz is out! PEACE!