Chapter 11

Last one coming at cha.

Today was the day, It was the day that will end Scourge's Tyranny and Italy will be free from his iron fist and that knights that work for him and are found to abuse their powers will head for exile. Everyone got their weapons and anything else they needed for battle and they said their goodbyes before Amy 'turned herself in'. Shadow felt horrible of tying rope to her neck, but he knew that all knights did this and that was the idea, that nobody would recognize him. He puts on his helmet and Amy puts on a red robe and the rope on her neck with the hood on. Matteo looked in fear , but knew it was for the best and he then realized it was coming out the way he expected. He was glad and thought to himself,

Looks like I will keep my word to the signorita.
(Signorita means young lady in Italian)

Matteo sucked it up and looked on bravely. He takes Lucas and hands him to a young church mouse named Rosalina. She took him in her hands, let Sally kiss him goodbye and Sonic held him before battle. Sonic felt like a piece of him was ripped away from him, but he understood the meaning for this was just for a while. The gang stood tall like soldiers and Shadow says, "Blaze, Knuckles, and Mephiles, I need you three to spy around and Blaze will shoot a ball of fire to tell the rest it is time to invade, and when Amy is in any danger, Amy, make your eagle call and all are to attack, hold no anger back."

They all nodded. Shadow puts his gauntlets on and brings Amy out, for it was time. Matteo wanted to say goodbye, so he rushes over and hugs her goodbye. She reassures him,

"Don't worry, Matti, I will be ok. I love you through it all."

"Goodbye, Mamma."

She smiles and Shadow drags Amy away and when they reached the door, He tells Amy to use her best acting and she nods. They go out the back and when the sun rose, they make a quick run before they reached the plaza. When people were walking, they see Shadow, but they didn't recognize the knight as Shadow. But then their hopes were crushed when they saw who he caught. He notices they are staring and shouts, "Is this the warrior that supposedly was to take our king down? Well look at her now."

He yanks her hood off her neck and he kicks her to the ground. He then shouts again in that same vicious tone, "Here's your so called pride and joy of this country. Humph! Get up, insolent brat. Shame on you."

Amy gets wearily and they keep walking up to the Abbey gates . He calls a guard, whose name was Luny, opened the gate and he calls Ivan to tell the King. He goes and Shadow whispered, "Idiot fell for it."

"What a pussy. But hey, he's been that way since forever, even in training."

"Don't remind me, but remember, there will be spies I placed out here so let them in. They'll be coming with Knuckles."

"OK, but go."
"Right."

Shadow pulls Amy and they enter the Palace doors. Scourge, in a red cape and the crown tipped sideways to the left, stands angrily and sadistically with plans up his sleeve. Shadow stops about a foot away from Scourge and says, "Here's the warrior, the money will not be necessary for me."

"OK then, now you may leave."

"Yes sire." Shadow replied when in his mind he says, "You royal jackass, prepare to fall."

He exits and tells the three others along with the red hedgehog named Luny and his twin brothers Marion and Giovanni with their armor on that, "It began sooner than expected and are the others here?"
"The echidna and the others, yes. Also a blue hedgehog came in too."

"Good, I need to see him."
"He's in the dungeons, since there's a tunnel that takes you inside the palace."

"You don't think, you know what, I'll let it slide, he was going to be assassinated by the man."
"Ouch, revenge time, huh?"
"You know it. That fucker has done many thing, but hurting out country the way he is, I am not letting that shit slide."

"Damn, bastard."

"Let's go, you need to guard the gate or else knights will enter in. Also, make sure Antonio is let in, he has more weapons."
"Fair."

"Hope you're ready."

"I am, he needs to go."
"OK, see you on the other side."
"Good luck." They split up and they got in their positions. Shadow climbed on the palace walls and near a window so he can hear Amy's eagle call.

Inside the palace, Scourge walks towards her and kneels in front of her. He then slaps her violently and grabs her arms to pin her down to the ground.

"Why the fuck did you leave, whore."
Amy wanted to kick him off her like Shadow taught her, but knew it would be best to not do anything about it.

"Well, answer me!" He shouted, giving her a punch to the chest. Amy refused and gave him a mean look. He smirked and said,

"Little rebel are ya, well, that will all change sooner than you think." He told her smuttingly. Amy knew it was not good, she didn't like it at all. Before she could make her eagle call, Scourge roughly kisses her and begins to take her armor off her. When he took the armor off, he began to untie the back of her dress as they kissed. When they parted, it gave and the chance she needed.

"Eeeeaaaaaakkk."

Scourge steps back as Amy made her calls. Shadow hears and whistles, telling Blaze to warn the others, that it is time to go to war. He quickly took his sword out and breaks in from the window. He gets on the defensive and with his sword in hand, and shouts, "Get the fuck off Amy Rose!"

Scourge quickly takes out his sword and gets Amy in a headlock with the sword near her neck, laughing a sadistic laugh. He tsks and says, "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, when will you understand that Amy is mine." Amy then bites his arm and kicks the sword out of Scourge's hands. She then runs to Shadow and he hands her a sword and they both charge. Scourge quickly takes out a dagger and jumps over Shadow and slashes Amy's arm, causing her to lose balance and fall. She quickly gets back up and takes out her chakram, aiming for his sword and throws it, only for it to fly out the door.

Ivan was outside and he then sees the Chakram and realizes, "It's an ambush! Get up and- ugh."

Matteo comes out of a bush and knocks the knight out with a frying pan made of iron. He walks over to him and kicks the knight senselessly with all the anger inside him. As Matteo turns around, someone tackles him. It was Ivan.

"Where do you think you're going, child."
"Let go of me, creep!"
Ivan ignores his words and cuffs him. "Wait until King Scourge gets a hold of you."
Matteo gasps and squirms to be free, but with little success. Back with the others, Knights attack with all their power as the others fight them off. Sonic and Sally use harpoons and attack any knight without armor on sight. As they knock knights out of place, Sonic was then tackled and then cuffed along with Sally.

"Let go of me, vicious beasts!" Sally yelled and a knight gave her a blow to the head. Sonic was enraged and with all his anger, broke the cuffs and attacked both knights, instantly knocking them out. Sonic picks Sally up and places her in the abbey chapel.

"Sally, I'll be back. Just relax and it will all be over."

Sally groans in pain and Sonic kisses her to relieve her.

Back at the palace, Shadow and Amy were bruised, cut and tired while Scourge had the time of his life. "What, no pain," he shouts as he gives Shadow a blow to the head. "No GAME!" and he then trips Amy. They both fall and as Ivan yanks Matteo away, Matteo bites his arm, letting him go and giving him a chance to run. He runs to a room with Scrolls and ink and when he turns, he knocks down a vile of black in, turning the while colored hedgehog to a black and silver hedgehog. He squeaks, "Oh no! Now what am I to do…wait that's it! I got it!" Matteo looks around and sees a sword perfect for his stature and weight and sees the perfect chance at attack. As Ivan comes in, Matteo points the sword for his chest and he grazes Ivan's arm. Matteo makes a run for it and sees his mother and father fighting for their lives as Scourge mercilessly knocks them out one by one. Matteo growls lowly and angrily as Shadow gets kicked by the tyrant and when it came down to his mother, as Scourge tries to aim for her chest with his sword, the now black hedgehog charges with his weapon.

Back with the others, hope seemed lost as people piled up in the dungeons, that was until Rosalina and Sonic came to show them their escape tunnels . He along with Blaze and Mephiles go into the Abbey and Sonic says, "Mephiles, Blaze, I need you two to cut off their supply of weapons."

"Clear." The two reply and they follow the knight into a huge, what looked like a storage room, full of bows, arrows, gun powder, and more. Mephiles had the perfect way to cut them off, and in no time lost.

"Blaze, burn it all up."

"I got it!" Blaze replied as she began the fire, burning off all their weapons and the duo make a run for it.

Sonic goes back and the others were back in the outside and they finally regained their hope, and battled with pride.

"VIVA ITALIA!" Sonic battle cried.
"VIVA!" Everyone cried and they charged at now Italia's traitors. Sonic fights off as many as he could and after fighting, he decides to 'drop by the palace and see if Amy and Shadow were doing ok. He then has a thought,

"This will also give me a chance at my revenge at all he tried to do to get rid of me." He then takes a dagger from a dead knight and he climbs the palace walls.

As Shadow was flung across the room, he sees Matteo charging at the tyrant with a sword as Scourge chokes Amy. As he chokes her, he says, "You're going to fail, Amy Rose, FAIL!"

"Ech, NO I WON'T"

Matteo gains speed as he charges and shouts,

"RRAAAWWR ITALIA!"

Shadow gasps and sees him running, "Matteo, NO!"

Matteo kept running with great speed and aims for Scourge's neck, as he swung, Scourge felt something and his reflexes responded and he grabs Matteo and drops Amy and flings the child across the room. Amy wakes up and sees Scourge walking to her baby and looks at Shadow. He reads her eyes as if she was saying, "Shadow, please do something." He quickly gets up as Scourge pulls out another sword. Scourge looks at Matteo, who was looking at him in disgust as Amy begins to cry. Scourge then had a thought and mockingly asks, "Amy, is this your child?"

"Y-yes, he's mine."
"He has your rebelliousness." Scourge sneered. Shadow, hiding behind the columns of the room, carefully watches Scourge's movements so he can save his son. He sees Scourge getting closer and closer with a sword in hand and Scourge says, "He is to die."

Amy gasps as Scourge gained his strength to swing the sword to behead Matteo. Matteo looks up at Scourge and bravely faces him, looking back at his mother. She sees Scourge and begs for him to spare Matteo and Scourge, showing no emotions me."
"I never belonged to you. I will love Shadow even when he dies. I will never marry you. Please, don't hurt my baby."

"You think you're the only one that suffers, ha! Amy Rose, you are sadly mistaken and by the power invested in me, I hereby condemn this child to death."

Amy looks around for Shadow and sees him climbing a column. As Scourge swung, Matteo knelt his head, prepared for his death.

"Matti, my baby. My baby…my baby…" Amy cried as tears began to swell up in her eyes and before Scourge fully swung for his head, Shadow jumps down on him and yanks Matteo under him so Shadow could shield him as Shadow takes the graze. Amy felt all hope was lost. Before she was to surrender, she sees Sonic on a window sill and hope returned. Sonic takes out a rope and hook and flings it over to a chandelier. As Scourge mercilessly slices Shadow, trying to get to Matteo. Shadow looks up and sees Sonic. He chuckles lowly and he rolls into a ball with Matteo still under him and they spin dash away to Sonic's target. Scourge follows and Amy hides as she gets ready to use her chakram as Sonic prepares to swing in. As Scourge closes in on Shadow, Sonic jumps in and shouts,

"RRWWAAARRWW, You tried to get me killed!" He pins Scourge to the ground, with his dagger near his throat. Shadow unrolls and Matteo goes back outside. Sonic gets up and all three hedgehogs corner him with swords in hand and they….

(Scene turns black, Like the Finale of the Sopranos.)

Back outside as Julie-Su guards the gates, Ivan watches her from a distance and then pounces on her and tries to rape her once again. Matteo sees and calls his godfather for help. He along with Knuckles think of a plan and decide to lure him to Knuckles so Knuckles can kill him at an instant.

Julie-Su shouts in Italian, "Let go of me!"
"NO, you didn't bear me a baby, so now I will force you to do it again."

Then she sees Matteo and he says, "Hey, knight." and then makes a face, angering Ivan. He runs away and Ivan follows. When he reaches to the target, Knuckles shouts, "Hey!" Ivan turns and Knuckles says, "EAT SWORD." And Knuckles shoves the sword through his throat. Matteo was amazed, yet a bit shocked, but he was mature for his age.

After a long five hours of fighting, the hedgehogs tied Scourge up and bound him up with rope and cloth. Shadow looks at Scourge with disgust and says, "What did I tell you, huh? I told you, soon, you will be on your hands and knees, defeated!"

He and Sonic then drag Scourge out to a balcony that viewed out to the city of Rome. He calls Antonio, a yellow and blue striped hedgehog to ring the bells. He quickly goes up to the bell tower and rings the bells. Shadow looks over bravely and Amy smiles and the hold one another in their arms.

As the bell rings, all stop what they were doing. Everyone stopped fighting and everyone who sided with Scourge surrendered. People of Italia realize what the bell meant, an announcement was to be made. Everyone from all parts of Rome met at the 

square and in front of the palace gates. When the bells stop, Amy steps forward and Knuckles announces, "Dear people of Italia….Scourge's Monarchy…is OVER! The mighty Amy Rose will take back her place as ruler."

Everyone cheered and cried in joy that their queen back home. "We will also introduce the newest member of Italia's Monarchy, Matteo of the Hedgehog Family."
Knuckles picks Matteo up and he looks over what was soon to be his kingdom. He was amazed at its size and he looks up to the sky and in his thoughts, he says,

Signorita, I kept my word. I will soon make it known.

"Il nostro nuovo re, regolante accanto alla nostra principessa, anche un romano, ombra della famiglia dell'istrice nell'ambito dei desideri di Ivano quello grande. Farà questo paese che il senso Ivano ha. Mentre parlo, guarda sopra noi ed è fiero della nostra vittoria. È fiero in noi per non dare fino al re fatto cadere in disgrazia. Per potete lasciare con il dio nella vostra coscienza."

(Translation: Our new king, ruling alongside our princess, also a roman, Shadow of the Hedgehog family under wishes of Ivano the great one. He will make this country the way Ivano has. As I speak, he watches over us, and he is proud of our victory. He is proud in us for not giving up to the disgraced king. For may you leave with God in your conscience.)

As people leave, Shadow and the others meet back with the rest and Sonic goes back in the abbey for Sally, who has awaken. Amy meets with them all and says, "I don't know how to thank all of you. A plain 'Thank You' won't cover it. I am proud to know I have friends and allies like you. Now that Scourge's rule is over, we can all live in peace and we are now given a second chance at a peaceful life."

"Every Italian's dream." Sonic whispered as he holds Sally bridal style.
"We can now rebuild our country and make it go back to the way it was, an influential country. L'ITALIA PER SEMPRE!"

"VIVA ITALIA!" Everyone cheered. Shadow then calls Mephiles and Blaze and asks Mephiles,

"Do the execution, at once."

Mephiles smiles slyly and rubs his hands together. "With pleasure, Re."

Everyone goes in the palace and they celebrated was a victory to remember.

Three Weeks Later…

It has been three weeks since the dethroning of Scourge, and today, a Sunday, Amy was to get married. As Julie-Su and Sally help Amy, Shadow sneaks away to his room, grabs a black hooded robe, his chain with a golden cross, puts it on his neck, and goes to the abbey chapel. He kneels before Christ and prays,

I have not forsaken you. I am here to thank you for our successful mission and giving hope to our people. I don't know how will I show my gratitude, but I will find a way.

He does the sign of the cross and genuflexes as he heads back to get ready for the wedding. Back with the girls, Julie-Su was about to cut Amy's quills and Amy says, "Julie, don't cut them. I want them, and I think I look more like a young woman."

"What ever you choose, Amy."

Amy nods as she puts on her corset and Sally takes care of Lucas and Matteo keeps guard. He sees Shadow and quickly takes out his sword and says,

"Sorry, you're not allowed."
"Not even a few seconds?"
"No! You'll get bad luck, and we don't need that."

Shadow chuckles lightly and replies, "I guess your right. I'll see you at the church, ok?"

"Yes sir."

"Don't call me sir, I'm your father."
Matteo smiles and says, "Yes, father."

"Good, now run along. Friar Tito is waiting for you."
"OK."

Matteo rushes away and Shadow chuckles again. He quickly puts his robe away and puts on a black long-sleeved shirt, a surcoat with jewels, black pants, and shoes. Before he left for the church, he takes his golden cross, given to him by Amy's father Ivano, and leaves for the church.

Back with Amy, she finshes putting on her dress. Her dress was off shoulder and it was simple.
"I love my dress. Its simple and not to fancy, which is a good thing."

The girls laugh with her and Knuckles comes in to see them. He hands Amy her bunch of Roses and he says, "I can't believe you're getting married, Amy."

"Me either, and I can't believe my father knew about this."

"hmm…I wonder what he is doing now?"

"Probably smiling on us on this great day, I'm glad he chose you to give me away."
"Thanks, Amy. It really means a lot." Then Sonic comes in the room. Sally tsks and says, "Sonic, you know better than to burst in!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I need to say a something important to Amy, before we leave, and in private."

Sally looks at Amy and she shrugs. Everyone leaves the room and Sonic and Amy were left. Amy asks Sonic, "Well Sonic, tell me. I am listening."

Sonic sighs and begins, "Amy, I want to say for all the pain and suffering I had done, I truly am sorry. I was just in so infatuated with you and I thought you'd feel the same way, even through the pain I gave you. I know a plain 'I'm sorry' won't cut it, but I truly , from the heart am sorry. I don't blame you for forgiving me."

Amy smiles softly and hugs the cobalt hedgehog. "Matteo reminded me to love and forgive those who had hurt me, and now you have received your forgiveness. I will forgive you."

Sonic smiles and says, "Thank you, Amy. I really am grateful."

Amy smiles and says, "Come along now, we'll be late." Knuckles smiles and they walk over to the church. The bells rang at a different tune, not your usual tune, but it was a tune Amy remembers since she was a child. As they walked, the people of Italia watched their queen with great pride and joy as she walked into the church. She waves at her people and smiles at them as children cheer her name. "VIVA REGINA AMY ROSE!" She looks at them and thinks of her great future lying ahead. She puts on a white head covering to cover her quills.

(Making her look like the virgin Mary.)

They enter the church and Shadow turns around and smiles as he sees Amy walking down the aisle. She smiles back at him and mouths 'I love you."

Shadow nods once and when they reach the aisle, Knuckles stops with Amy and chants, "I, Knuckles the Echidna, give Shadow the Hedgehog Amy Rose of Roma in Holy Matrimony."

Shadow takes Amy's hand and they kneel before a young adult lion, Fr. Joseph Tito. He then began in Italian, "We are here today to unite these two in holy matrimony. We will begin with a prayer."

As the he began the prayer, amy smiles and Shadow grabs her hand and holds it tightly. After finishing the prayer and saying a hymn, he says a reading from the old testament. After the readings, psalms, he reads the Gospel of Matteo.

"A reading from the Gospel of Matteo,"

Matteo smiles and feels as if a circle was above his head like an angel. As the priest read the Gospel, Matteo goes outside and tells the kids that are outside an idea. He sneaks a bowl of dried rice from the abbey and gives it to the children and tells them in their native tounge, "When they come outside, throw it on them, not at them, on them, it's to wish them 'luck'."

The kids nod and wait patiently for Matteo to signal them. He goes back in the church as Shadow and Amy were about to exchange vows. They stand before all and held each others hands and Shadow starts off,

"In presence of God and before these witnesses, I, Shadow the Hedgehog, take you, Amy Rose, to be my wife, to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; in joy and sorrow; to love, to cherish and to be faithful to you alone, as long as we both shall live."

Amy up her courage and begins, "I-In presence of God and these witnesses, I, Amy Rose of Roma, take you, Shadow the Hedgehog to be my husband, to hold f-from this day forward, for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; in joy and sorrow; to love, to cherish, to obey and to be faithful to you alone, as long as we both shall live."

The priest then says, "It is time to exchange rings."

Knuckles and Julie-Su walk up with the rings and the priest blesses them. Knuckles hands Amy Shadow's ring and Julie-Su gives Shadow Amy's. The two take their gloves off and hand them to the designated person.

Shadow starts off, "Amy Rosa, gli dò questo anello, quello che potete portarli, poichè un simbolo dei voti noi ha fatto questo giorno. e può questa traversa dorata che riguardo la mia cassa dimostro il mio merito." Shadow takes off this cross and puts it on Amy's small neck.

(Translation: -name- I give you this ring, that may you wear it, as a symbol of the vows we have made this day. /(Shadow)And may this golden cross I bear on my chest, prove my worthiness.)

"Ombra, Gli dò questo anello, quello posso voi portarlo, poichè un simbolo dei voti noi ha fatto questo giorno."
(Ombra means Shadow)

The priest stands up once more and says, "Per poiché l'ombra ed il Amy Rosa hanno fatto questo patto solenne dell'unione all'esame del dio e di questa azienda, li dichiaro per essere marito e moglie, in nome del padre, del figlio e dello Fantasma Santo. Amen - Potete baciare la sposa."

(Last Translation: For in as such as Shadow and Amy Rose made this solemn covenant of marriage before God and this company, I declare them husband and wife. In the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen. You may kiss the bride.)

Shadow and Amy turn to their witnesses and they kiss in front of all. Matteo looks up and claps with the others and prays, "Thank you, sir. You truly are the messiah." Matteo then remembers his plan and rushes out the back doors of the church to signal the kids. They see the signal and as the newlyweds came out the door, rice was being tossed in the air. They walked their way back to the palace and all of Roma was invited to their reception.

Last Chappy on ur way! R&R.