It's the final showdown! Duh duh du du, dun a dun dun du. But anyways, yes the final battle. Note, this is not the last chapter.

The sun was just cresting the horizon when I woke up the next morning. Blaze was still in my arms, fast asleep. I laid there for a moment, watching her sleep. It hadn't quite sunk in yet, that we were engaged. It seemed so unreal to me, the place and time. She was right to wonder if it had been the best time for me to propose, but I had no idea how long we would be alive, now that we were fugitives. I did it because I needed to know that this was real, and that she knew how much I loved her.

I was starting to get restless, so I slid out from under her and laid her head down on the pillow. I then put on the cloths that I had set out the night before. I then sat down on the side of the bed and put on my boots, gloves, and bracelets. And just as I was about to leave the room, I stopped and kissed Blaze on the forehead and then closed the door, ever so quietly.

Out on the walkway overlooking the courtyard, I could see the monks heading into the sanctuary to pray before beginning the day's work. I watched as they proceeded in a line, heads bowed and in quiet chant. I was soon joined by Marlo. He leaned over the rail next to me and said, "Sleep well?" I nodded. He continued, "Did you do it?" I nodded again. "And she said yes?"

I finally spoke, "Yes, she did."

He got real happy then, "Congratulations my boy."

I replied, "I want you to marry us, and soon, before we leave here."

He responded, "Are you sure? Wouldn't you like to wait a bit?"

I shook my head, "No. I want her to be my wife, and I want to do it before something happens."

He shrugged, "Alright, if you're sure. Just make sure she wants to as well."

I replied, "Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way." Our conversation was interrupted by Blaze, who had just come out and joined us on the balcony.

"What are you guys talking about?" She said, rubbing her eyes.

Marlo answered, "Nothing. That's a beautiful ring."

She instantly perked up. "Thank you. I guess Silver told you."

He replied, "Yes...and he was just talking to me about a wedding, but I'll leave that for you two to discuss." And with that, he was gone.

Blaze then said, "About a wedding? What did you have in mind?"

I sighed and replied, "I don't know. I was hoping to have it soon...real soon."

She became intrigued and asked. "How soon?"

I replied, "Before we leave. But it wouldn't be some big fiasco. Just the two of us, the witnesses and the priest."

She responded, "Marlo?" I nodded. She continued, "To tell you the truth Silver. I always imagined having a big beautiful wedding, but...given our situation, I would be happy to have a simple, small wedding. After all, it's not about the atmosphere, it's about the people, spending the rest of their lives together."

I was surprised. She loved me so much that she actually is fine with a small wedding.

"Then let's get married tonight, at sunset." Her eyes went wide. I took her hand and said, "Blaze, I love you more than anything, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I want the rest of my life to start as soon as possible."

She smiled and replied, "Alright then. Tonight it is." She leaned in to kiss me, but we were interrupted by the sound of trumpets playing, getting the attention of everyone in the monastery. The monks returned from the sanctuary, Marlo returned from where he had left to and Blaze and I looked in the direction of the trumpets.

Then a voice from outside yelled, "This is King Leo, sovereign of Epistria! We are conducting a search for three fugitives: The former Princess Blaze, Silver the Hedgehog, and the former Father Marlo! All three are wanted for treason and other crimes. If you are harboring these traitors, you have five minutes to send them out to us. If you are not, signal and we shall search your monastery. If we receive no response after five minutes, we will search anyways. If we search and find them, you will all be branded as traitors and share their fate. You have five minutes."

The chatter began among the monks and Marlo joined us, "What should we do."

Blaze said, "We should go. We can slip out before he searches and..."

I cut her off, "No. We will stand and fight. I'm going to end this, right now." They both looked at me, shocked. "I will not keep running. I will stop this and we will be free. Marlo, use the fight as a distraction to escape, Blaze you too."

They both objected. First Marlo, "No, my fate will be the same as yours. I may not be able to fight, but I will stay."

And then Blaze. "I'm staying as well. You wont have to do this alone." I nodded, conceding their demand. Blaze and I walked into the courtyard and stood at the gate while a couple monks rushed to open it.

I whispered to her, "At least we're together." She leaned over and kissed me, like it would be our last. The doors creaked open and we walked through the gate. The king was on a horse, Addsworth was as well. There was also a small detachment of soldiers, about twenty.

"Those are the king's guard, the best soldiers in Epistria." Blaze whispered to me.

I whispered back, "Nothing we can't handle."

The king addressed us in a triumphant voice, "I see that you've come to surrender. Perhaps your executions will be quick and private. It pains me to do this to you Blaze, but treason will not be tolerated. Guards, arrest them." A couple guards walked towards us.

Blaze said, "I hardly think that's the case." Almost timed, I grabbed the two guards advancing on us and threw them back at the king. He was surprised, but not shocked and he reared his horse out of the way.

"Guards! Kill them." The whole group advanced on us now. Blaze went to work, calling up a flame tornado and taking out a few guards. I was running at them, jumping in the air and then landing on the ground and sending out a shockwave. This blasted about four guards in all directions. Blaze began to cut through another line with an accelerator tornado and I began to grab guards and throw them at others, hardly a challenge. We had cut through them in no time at all. But when we finished the soldiers, the king and Addsworth dismounted their horses and approached.

Blaze said, "I'll take Addsworth. Watch my father, he has flames as well." No sooner had she said it, the king had shot a fireball at me. I blocked with a psycho-shield. He ran at me, jumping in the air and cloaking himself in fire, he tried to rip right through me. I dodged, but he was relentless. Fire balls and flame tornados hurled at me from all directions. I was able to block most, and dodge the rest. I finally took some initiative, using a soldier as a projectile, which he dodged. But as he recovered, I jumped and kicked him in the face, then grabbing him, and tossing him a fair distance.

I looked over at Blaze, who was having just as hard a time with Addsworth. He had some kind of ice power, because he was blocking Blaze's fireballs with ice. This distraction cost me dearly, as I found myself seared by the king's fire as he revived his assault. He began beating me back and I was beginning to tire. He cloaked himself in fire once more, but when I tried to block this time, he broke through my shield and pinned me to the ground.

Now standing over me, he gloated, "You were never worthy to marry her. You still aren't." I looked over to see Blaze finishing off Addsworth, but looking over in horror to see the king, pinning me.

"But now you will suffer." He pulled out his sword and ran it through my side. The pain burned like nothing I had ever felt. It felt like every piece of my abdomen was burning as the blood gushed out of my side. Blaze screamed and then rushed at him, poised to attack. He had anticipated this and easily blocked, then countering her, sending her to the ground.

"You dare attack with my back turned! Insolent child! You will learn respect before you die." He kicked he once. "Your suffering has just begun, unlike him." I felt a surge of strength and a desire to defend Blaze. I don't know how, but I pulled the sword from my body and used it to pull myself to my feet.

I levitated the sword, ready to throw. I yelled, "Hey!" He turned around and was shocked to see me on my feet.

"Why can't you just die!"

I threw the sword and it hit him square in the knee. He collapsed to the ground in pain.

I limped over to him, "You are beaten." Blaze was now up, with her knee on his chest, flame in her palm.

She was going to kill him, but I said. "Blaze no! Don't sink to his level!" I wasn't sure if she would back down. It was twice now, and this time he ran a sword through me. She held that flame there for a moment, but finally lowered her hand.

She stood up and I knelt down beside him, "That's two lives you owe me. One for her, and one for myself. Let it go."

Blaze helped me to my feet, and supporting me the whole way, we walked back to the monastery.