From now on I'll only be address comments of people that don't have accounts on here and at the bottom. Everyone else will get a PM back. I managed to make this chapter longer ^_^ you guys should be happy I accidentally stitched my finger in crafts class (do you know how hard it was and is to type this!) and I've got a horrible stomach flu. On a happier note I finally got to a scene I've been trying to for a long time ^_^ CUE STORY

Shadow stared at the dark blade in his hands without interest as the knight Black Doom had 'hired' (See: Threatened) to help him spoke of the basics of how to use a sword and how to fight with it. It had been four days since had he arrived in this strange dimension with Sonic and three since Rouge had been sent away and he had found himself on his own in the castle. A loud zing caught his attention and he looked up to see the knight standing with clad feet apart and the sword he was holding facing towards him.

"Did you not hear me?" The knight asked as he look up, "I said it is now time to practice. Your father has informed me that you must be the best by noon tomorrow when the joust begins."

The black hedgehog offered a glare towards the other before standing and copying the stance, the blade in his hands seeming foreboding and heavy. He nodded to show that he was ready, after all if a copy of Silver could do it there was no reason he couldn't.

A few minutes later found Silver standing over him with a sword at his neck before nodding and letting the other up, "Not bad for a beginner. Let's try again."

XXxxXX

"Perry! Thrust! Back! Block! Repeat!"

Sonic completed every command shouted towards him as the silver sword in his hand clashed with the thinner one his opponent was holding. Suddenly the sword slashed down towards him and no commands were yelled. Clutching the sword with both hands he raised it towards the sky and winced as it sent shockwaves traveling through both swords into his arms. The opponent's sword began to glow a light orange as it heated to a higher temperature and he pushed back before suddenly spinning to the left sliding his blade along the heated edge. Without time to right the position the knight was suddenly found it a double-bladed sword suddenly appeared at the neck where there was a chink in the armor.

Sonic smirked lightly, "Yield."

"I yield." His opponent repeated getting up once allowed to reveal a purple cat with golden eyes and a red jewel on her forehead. She glanced over to where Knuckles and Rouge were watching the fight and smirked, copying the other, "I am unaware as to why you requested me to come and train your comrade. It seems to me as if he could best many proud knights easily." Her eyes wandered back over to the green-eyed hedgehog, "Do not allow that to go to your head though, many that do often do not get to see the next sunrise."

"That's a pity. I hear it's always beautiful the day before you almost die." He answered back as he sat on the ground and began rubbing the sword down with a clump of moss.

"Why do you say that?" Rouge asked her wings flaring before folding in.

Sonic glanced up before snorting slightly and going back to cleaning his sword, "I'm entering a contest with the world's best sword fighters and a magic gemstone limiting my powers, not to mention we're rely on the idea that ol' Doomy doesn't know what I look like yet."

"When you say it like that it sounds like we're sending you to Death's door." Knuckles said, speaking quietly.

Sonic grinned up at the awkward looking echidna and winked, "I was thinking something more along the lines of twenty feet away from it."

Blaze gave a small smile and shook her head, "Jests aside, Sonic does still need a title to go by to enter the contest. Do you have a King or Master?" She asked directing the last part at the hedgehog.

His lips twirked as he remembered something he had once said, something that felt like a lifetime ago, "My only master is the wind that blows free!"

Blaze chuckled and placed her saber on each peach shoulder, "Then I dub you, Knight of the Wind, Sir Sonic."

XXxxXX

"P-prince Shadow." A quiet voice said. He turned to see who had come in still feeling strange in the armor one of the maids had placed him in. One of the servants was standing silently at the door until he was seen, "The king has told me to inform you that the joust is to begin soon and you are supposed to make haste to the courtyard."

Shadow nodded and watched as the servant scurried away.

XxX

Very few fighters had shown up contrasting greatly with the multitude of citizens that had come to watch the fights. No humans could be seen, but the crude benches and stands that had been set up were stocked with Mobians of all kinds and ages.

Black Doom himself was standing in a large box twenty feet away from the rim, while Shadow was standing outside of his wearing the armor and the sword at his side.

Silver had gone into the ring first and dueled against a green bird in bronze colored armor before being declared the winner. A thing figure had then rose up to the challenge and bested the white hedgehog in a matter of minutes.

His turn had come up after leading him to fight with the purple cat for around fifteen to twenty minutes before the saber slipped and the cat was down.

His guard didn't go down as everyone took a break and he sat down on a bench. He had seen how good the cat could fight and a good knight did not let go of their sword.

Speaking of… he thought as the knight walked over to him Silver watching from a distance.

"You forfeited." He said quietly covering the action by taking a drink of water.

"So I did. And I have good reason as well."

"Oh?"

"After the fight…" Her voice took on a desperate note, "No matter who wins you need to speak with the knight. He is entering this joust simply to speak with you."

She walked away without another word her tail swinging behind her as Black Doom called for the next fight.

He entered the ring and froze. In front of him someone had just removed a dark brown cloak and handed it to another unidentifiable figure.

The first then stepped up and placed on hand on the duel-edged sword at his waist. He was wearing a loose light-brown shirt that had a brown strap at his waist from which the sword hung. Black bands circled around many of his quills and dark brown gloved covered his hands. His fur was a dark blue and looked as if it had been dragged through the dirt or mud a few times, emerald green eyes caught his attention as they glinted and the hedgehog owning them smirked.

Shadow may have been dressed for war, but his counterpart looked dressed to kill.