Musicalocelot: Thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Disclaimer: All Sonic character's belong to Sega. All OCs belong to me.

Chapter 24: Let's Look Back, Shall We?

Mrs. Hedgehog was really worried about him. No, really worried.

Tyrone hadn't spoken much since that particular day. The horrid day when the king had proposed to the chosen maiden. She was said to be beautiful. The young girl was kind, humble, strong, and a fighter at heart. Most of the kingdom knew this girl, her father being quite the knight he was, it was almost impossible to not have an idea of what she looked like. And even if you didn't know her appearance, you were bound to know her name. The bride-to-be had indeed caught the heart of the handsome azure king and he had made sure to let it be known that she would be his.

That Elizabeth would be his, only his.

Not Tyrone's.

For the few weeks he had heard the news of the proposal, (how could he have missed it), Tyrone had walked around with shock apparent on his face. Throughout the day his face would appear blank, his sapphire orbs shrunk and his pupils dilated. From time to time, his jaw would unhinge, leaving his mouth to gape open. Then after most of the shock faded, anger soon filled his kind heart. At the tiniest things he would snap, shouting his anger at anything and anyone. This had resulted in the olive furred hedgehog to even blow up at a small child. Of course he was reprimanded for his absurd actions, but of course, he paid no heed to the angry glares of the child's parents. He had fury of his own that blinded him greatly. All he ever did during those days was be angry.

And after that mood died down, a more worrying type of emotion took over his tired body. Tyrone became depressed, well, sort of. A more appropriate word would be stoic. He was unresponsive to most of the things around him. It was like the world surrounding the hedgehog teen had become dull, boring, and insignificant. Gray paint had masked his environment and no matter how hard he looked, he only saw gray. Everything was cloudy and gray. Even the love that swam in his blunted heart could not paint the corners of his world with color. The feeling sat there, trapped from the gray world, where it couldn't run and be free. It instead stayed in its own solitude, rotting away with the rest of Tyrone's soul. The final blow had been received and it had indeed affected him to a great extent.

His heart was tired. There was no other way to say it.

At first, he questioned why. Why would Elizabeth's father do this? To him, it was quite obvious of the flirting and little stares between the two teens. Tyrone knew the ebony knight wasn't too fond of his feelings towards his daughter, but he was so sure that he didn't hate him. When they were younger, Lancelot seemed to take a liking to him. He had noticed, as he had grown, that he had seemed to be the only male that the crimson striped father was comfortable with around Elizabeth. So why this? Why had he given his blessings for the king to marry he girl? Surely he should've known of the attraction between the two. Surely he should've seen the way the young boy gazed at her. Surely he should've known that Tyrone loved her.

Surely.

But apparently not so much.

For the time being, the green hedgehog lied on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His vision was as clear as day but his mind buzzed and hummed with haphazard thoughts and questions. Out of the corner of his blank stare he caught sight of the door opening, revealing his mother who possessed an expression of complete pity.

How could she know, and not Lancelot.

He would've scoffed if he had the heart to.

Mrs. Hedgehog fluttered into the room, taking cautious steps towards her statue of a son. He saw her stand over him, hands neatly folded on top of her apron. He took note of how neat she looked all the time. There wasn't a moment in his life where he saw his mother disheveled or off of schedule. She found a way to make time for cleaning, cooking, sewing, and taking care of his needs.

"Tyrone, dear, it's time for supper."

Was it already evening?

Well, it's not like it mattered to him anyway.

Without so much as a change in his facial expression, Tyrone shook his head signifying that he wasn't hungry, something his mother had learned over the past few days. Mrs. Hedgehog was lenient with him, allowing the young hedgehog some space, but when it came to his health, she didn't play games.

The mother hedgehog scowled lightly. Her features scrunched into a more concerned and a stern type-of nurturing expression. Mrs. Hedgehog sat softly on the mattress, by her son. Tyrone paid no attention to the hand that gently glided over his forehead and down to his cheek, thumb caressing it. His sapphire orbs still stared into the ceiling, dully. There wasn't a trace, not even an ounce, of care in those once lively eyes. Mrs. Hedgehog could not find her son's soul underneath the sheet, and countless layers, of thick black smoke that caged Tyrone. Right there, forgetting the steaming plate of dinner that belonged to her emerald furred hedgehog, tears soon overflowed in the young mother's eyes. Her own sky-blue crystals, glistened as the tears ran down her face. There was so much pain coming from him. Her own child was swimming in a sea of agony and there was nothing she could do about it.

Muffled sobs reached Tyrone's ears. He blinked as he felt his mother lay her wet cheek upon his chest, and cried. Cried for him. All the heartbreak that was bottled up in his caged heart had been released through his mother's own eyes. Eyes that matched his own.

"Tyrone, please," she begged.

There was something in the young teen that made his eye twitch. For a moment, he considered cradling his mother, and telling her he'd be alright in the end. Or maybe he would curl against her and cry and pour out all the heart-ache that was built up in his chest. Even just wrapping an arm around her trembling frame would suffice the burning itch that tormented his chest. But unfortunately, he did not have the will to take action. Instead, Tyrone let his mind consider those actions while his body lay there silently. He continued to stare to the point to where his eyes blurred and he could only see a warped picture of grey and black. It was like he was suddenly forced into a picture. Everything was gray or black. There were no dimensions to peer through, no colors to determine the emotions that ran along with it. No. it was just flat and dull. He didn't want to stay in here, in this lifeless picture. And even so, did he really want to do something about it? Maybe. But even after considering this, Tyrone just lied there and soon fell asleep.

He'd think about this later.

(0…)

Arthur took a deep breath as he stood in front of the two enormous doors of the court yard. His bottom lip quivered causing his teeth to chatter against one another. For the hundredth time that day, he fiddled with his crown and cape, brushing off invisible dust bunnies. Unless it was hard to tell, the azure king was quite nervous. Probably even more nervous than his ceremony of becoming king. And if that was true, then he was pretty nervous.

For the longest of time, he had been deciding what he was going to do with the box in his hand. His fingers kept sliding over the silk covering of the minuscule capsule that contained something that could very well change his life. Change both of their lives if he played his cards right. For, at this moment, the king of the land had chosen who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with after days of pondering and thought processing. After three weeks, after the ball, he had decided who he wanted next to him, accompanying him on the throne and overlooking the land of which he was sworn to protect. If he were to get what he wanted, the cerulean hedgehog would no longer spend nights alone in his bed. No. there would be someone with him through each step among the nails and through the pains of reality.

A small smile reached his peach lips.

With yet another deep sigh, trying to calm his beating heart, King Arthur opened the double doors with one strong push. Just as expected, walking towards his way was the man he had called his best friend for many years. He was knight who never ceased to amaze him. Someone who fulfilled his duty with a full heart and as much passion as any true lover out there. An ebon hedgehog, who walked with authority, tall and proud, ruby eyes met emerald orbs that quaked with slight apprehension. The bloody streaks that ran down his arms and legs only added to the older hedgehog's aura that demanded respect. His title as the greatest knight of the Round Table for some reason had the king feel as if he were the one that needed to bow before him.

But, as always, Lancelot carried that atmosphere around him.

Speaking of which, the noble man bowed respectfully before King Arthur. After he returned the respectful grace by dipping his head in acknowledgement, Arthur started with pleasantries. He needed to be cautious of every word he spoke as of now. With Lancelot, one could never really determine the next move.

"Good afternoon Lancelot. How do you do?" he said casually, trying to keep the bright smile on his face from running away.

"I am doing well, my king," Lancelot replied easily, "And you?"

"Just fine."

Right then uncomfortable silence began to fill the empty space between them. Usually the king would have no problem filling the silence, as it was in his nature to be the social butterfly that he was. But this was different. This was serious.

Lancelot raised a dark brow at the younger hedgehog's odd behavior. Being friends with the king for so long had its advantages. One of those 'advantages' was the ability to tell whether or not the king felt….right, in a more emotional aspect.

With his respectable helmet covering his questionable expression, Lancelot crossed his arms in a wondering manner. His lips turned downward into a frown. "Please forgive me, my king, but I do not believe you," he stated catching the blue king off guard. This caught the ebony knight's eye, and at the very moment, his suspicions were confirmed. He was hiding something and it was yet to be spoken, but whatever it was, it must be something big. Something really huge. Something that could, most likely, cause an impact.

Arthur stepped back out of lucid surprise. His eyes were wide, usual soft, charisma-feeling, emeralds were now glossy and anxious. For just a moment, tension stabbed the air between them but for both speedy hedgehogs, it couldn't quite get away without them noticing. King Arthur cursed quietly as he stepped back in his place, straightening his back. Damn Lancelot for knowing him so well. This entire thing just got ten times harder, and for the cerulean hedgehog, the hard way always gave him headaches.

Again, stumped for a reliable response, Arthur left his mouth open, a strained gasp crawling through his lips. His fingers shook by his sides, just itching to fiddle with something to create a diversion from all the butterflies in his stomach. Oddly enough, his feet also burned with the pleading sensation to run. Maybe to run far away from this place, leaving behind his anxiety completely. It would never catch up anyway. The feeling would be left behind in the dust along with all of his pesky responsibilities. But then again he would have to leave behind his new responsibility. His new found purpose for existing and being king. Arthur had truly believed this decision may have been his best one yet, and he wasn't about to mess this up also. So for now, he would slow down for the anxiety to catch up.

If it was for his new partner-in-crime, anything.

He took a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a moment, deciding how to approach this without possibly having to call the guards to restrain the skilled knight before him. When the silence that clawed at his ears, screeching its silent pain directly into his eardrums hurt too much to tolerate, Arthur faced Lancelot with a full heart. It was now or never.

"Lancelot, I have ordered all of the servants to leave this room because what I am about to discuss with you is very important," he said firmly.

Authority set, the crimson stained hedgehog switched into a more respectful stance, having his arms behind his back, only straightening his already straight back. A knight always had good posture anyways. "I am listening intently my-"

Arthur chuckled and waved his hands. "Please, let us drop the formalities and talk as old friends," the king smiled. It was easier to smile than be serious for the young hedgehog.

Lancelot blinked in confusion. Well this was certainly peculiar behavior coming from the king. "Please do not take this personally Arthur, but this is indeed odd behavior coming from you. As I already know, you are a very calm and…..sociable king, but why such a casual attitude for such a serious topic."

Yet again, Arthur chuckled, smirking. If only he knew the amount of strength he was using, trying to keep himself from falling into a pathetic ball of shivering spines. His shoulders twitched before the azure king rolled them back. He shrugged and said, "If you do not mind, I would very much like it if you could remove the mask of your helmet."

Try as he might, Lancelot tried his very best not to back away from the anomalous behavior. He already had enough of that at home with his daughter. But he kept in mind that he was but a knight of the king, and his orders overruled any thought he had. So, unwillingly, he grasped the tip of his helmet, and slowly pulled it up, allowing his usually flawless face to be displayed. Lancelot allowed himself to show his confusion slightly instead of exhibit his standard stoic visage.

"Arthur, what is on your mind?" he asked incredulously.

"I have chosen my bride, and I needed to talk to you" Arthur admitted, sighing.

At this, Lancelot's eyes widened. Now that was not expected. At the sudden brashness, the older hedgehog blinked. A small smirk twitched upon his apricot-tanned muzzle as he observed that the cocky king burdened a light pink blush. "Really?" he teased, a sudden giddiness he hasn't felt in awhile rose in his chest. He wondered who the young maiden was. At that moment, Lancelot remembered when he was certain of who he would marry. It was a very terrifying, (not that he would admit it), and yet an astonishing feeling and he was more than honored that the king of the land would share that kind of information with him.

Emerald orbs were glued to the ground, only flickering at the taunting expression of his 'dear friend.' Embarrassed, Arthur rubbed his arm and looked away. A frown creased his features as his blush grew darker when Lancelot wiggled his eyebrows.

Oh he wasn't going to find this funny very soon.

"I'm sure you find this very humorous, don't you?" he sneered, ears lying down. He wasn't very comfortable with this. Never before had King Arthur felt so vulnerable. Especially in front of Sir Lancelot.

"You said to act as old friends, did you not?" Lancelot joked. He shook his head, enjoying the last of his fun. He smirked, crossing his arms, as Arthur gave him a glare. "Alright, alright. I am finished. What did you need then?"

Here comes the hard part.

The blue hedgehog scratched the back of his head with nervousness. "I-I want something," he stuttered.

Lancelot frowned. "Arthur, you have the entire land at your feet. You and I both know the world's most precious jewels could appear in your hand with a snap of your fingers."

He cringed. "Yes but, sometimes the most important one to me isn't that easy to obtain." Again, Arthur sighed. He stared almost pleadingly into fiery ruby orbs, praying that what he was about to say wasn't going to lead to his death. "The only thing my heart desires can only be received from you, Lancelot."

Then everything clicked. Yes, Arthur had certainly chosen a bride. And yes, indeed, he had chosen well. But the mere shock that had hit Lancelot like a rhinoceros was much to handle. The only thing that kept ebony hedgehog from tearing his quills out and possibly blacking out must've been God himself.

Yes, it had to be.

"W-what do you mean?" he uttered quietly and carefully.

Lancelot was no fool. He was not anywhere near stupid and every living being knew that. In fact, the older hedgehog had enough wisdom to outdo most the people on the land and he made sure to make that evident. Sir Lancelot always took the direst of situations to heart and solved the most complex of issues with his heart and mind. But if there was one thing King Arthur had to say, that would be Lancelot's only flaw, was his unmatchable strength of resistance towards certain things. Meaning he had a strong sense of being in denial. Refutation was something Lancelot himself knew he needed to work on. This could very well lead to certain problems that could've been avoided only if he accepted the matter of truth.

Arthur decided to play the long way and shut away his worries. There was no going back now, so why give up?

Taking a turn of events, Arthur kneeled in front of Lancelot. The dark knight gasped with wide, alarmed eyes that screamed for the blue hedgehog to stand up and laugh, tell him this was all a joke. A cruel hoax. King Arthur looked up at him, frightened to see the, well, frightened eyes of Lancelot. And when Lancelot was frightened, that was never good.

"I am well aware of the fact that I could've just wedded your daughter this very instant, without your consent, but that was not how I was brought up. Although that way does sound alluring, it does not prove anything good towards myself. I want to show you that even as king, I will ask of a blessing as any other man would." Arthur smiled at the ground, feeling his heart rapidly pound against his ribs. "I have chosen Elizabeth as my bride. I've known her since she was just a kit and have watched her grown among the townspeople. Throughout watching I have noticed these tiny sparks of excitement and happiness in my chest, and at first I just brushed it off, but then, something just snapped and I knew I was feeling something more than just friendship with her. When we danced, it was as if the entire world had vanished and the only thing I could see was her bright face and smiling eyes. She is indeed a beautiful, talented, and respectful young woman that only deserves the best. And although I am king of this land, I still do not think I can give her all that she deserves. But I do know this." He looked up, emerald eyes shining like a thousand jewels. "I will supply her with all the love that she deserves. I will shower her with my utmost affection and never abandon her for anything or anyone. Every day I will take it upon my life to ensure her safety and keep her smiling. But I cannot do any of this without your blessing Lancelot. So I ask, Sir Lancelot du lac, worthy knight of The Round Table, may I hold your daughter's hand in marriage?"

At that moment, Lancelot was sure he had blacked out, but apparently not since what he was told was that a very giddy king ran out of the room, professing his new achievement to the world only to leave him wondering what had just happened.

Better yet, why did he say "yes"?

(0…)

"Plum or Wine?"

Sonic blinked. He stared at the two napkins held in front of him by that same maid that asked him last time about colors he didn't know existed. He scratched his head confused. "U-um, what's the difference?" he said, "They look the same to me."

The young maid's eyes widened causing his eyes to widen also. When she was about to explode, professing a speech about how those two were two very different colors, a finger had daintily tapped the napkin on the right.

"Plum," Elizabeth said with a smile. "I would've picked wine, but it has a reddish tint to it and we don't want the colors to clash."

As if the king wasn't even there to begin with, the young maid smiled brightly and nodded, pleased with the answer. She scurried off, happy that someone had a good sense of color around here.

Sonic looked over at Elizabeth with a very blank expression. He blinked three times before opening his mouth and jerking his thumb behind him. "I swear there wasn't a difference between those two."

Elizabeth giggled, amused. "Yes there is," she patted his head degradingly, "You just have to have a keen eye."

The cerulean hedgehog huffed, crossing his arms. "What are you trying to say? I'm blind or something? As far as I know I chose the most beautiful girl in the land as my queen. I think my sight is not something to question." The young girl blushed from the sudden compliment and shook her head hopelessly as Sonic bit his lip praying that his sly comment had worked in appealing her. And it did, of course. He also chuckled, grinning. Maybe this wedding stuff wasn't so bad, well, as long as you had someone with you.

Elizabeth looked up at Sonic when he lightly grasped her hand. "Have you seen your wedding dress?" he asked suddenly.

Her blush faded into a lighter color as she blinked. The ebony girl gently smiled and nodded. "Yes, indeed, I have. Why do you ask?"

The azure hedgehog almost pounced on her. Elizabeth had to step back as Sonic jumped forward, firmly holding her upper arms. "Is it well enough? Does it meet your standards? I want to make sure you're happy with it. I desperately want you to confirm it. I spent hours selecting it for you and-"

At that moment, Elizabeth's face scrunched up in disbelief. Her eyes widened dramatically as her clam purple orbs brightened to a light ruby. The cerulean king stopped mid-sentence and stared confused at her sudden change of mood. "You saw the dress?" she said lowly.

He raised a brow. "Uh…yes. I-I selected it for you-"

"You saw the dress!?" Elizabeth said, raising her voice.

Now it was the king's turn to step back in surprise. Sonic gazed at the hedgehog teen with much confusion. What did he exactly say that could've caused this sudden mood swing? He left his mouth agape. Sonic could feel the gazes of some of the servants upon the two and he quickly addressed his concern. "Yes, yes, I saw the dress! What of it!?" he harshly whispered, "And lower your voice Elizabeth. People are starting to stare."

Realizing he was right, Elizabeth took a hold of the blue hedgehog's hand and nearly dragged him out. Sonic stumbled after her as they went into a vacant room. The future queen let go of him, leaving him to wince in slight pain. Elizabeth crossed her arms and gave him a glare.

Sonic rubbed his hand. "Alright, before we start, let us take a moment to acknowledge your strength. You, my love, have a strong grip."

"Thank you, but let us skip to the argument," Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "Why have seen the dress already?" she demanded.

"Was I not supposed to?" he asked.

"No!" she exclaimed. "The groom is not supposed to see the wedding dress until the day of the wedding otherwise they shall have bad luck! Sonic, hasn't your mother ever said this!?"

"But I thought the groom was forbidden to see the bride with the dress on?"

"It doesn't matter!" she exclaimed, "Regardless, you were not permitted to see the dress until the wedding day!" Elizabeth uncrossed her arms and sighed heavily in frustration and disappointment. Sonic smiled, shaking his head. "Elizabeth, I am sure that that's just a mere myth to scare people."

"I know but…" she rubbed her arm and looked to the floor. Her eyes turned into a light purple causing Sonic to adapt a look of worry. He traveled towards her and lifted her chin with his finger. He smiled and kissed her forehead. "If it really means that much to you, then I will have the seamstresses create a dress unlike any other. It will be fit for a queen, but most of all, fit for you. And this time, I will not know what it looks like until you walk towards me with it on."

Elizabeth smiled warmly, but then it dropped. "But the wedding is in three days time. How will it be done by then?"

"That is not for you to worry about Elizabeth," Sonic gently said.

For now, she would take his resolution to heart, and put the issue at the back of her mind. Elizabeth nodded and smiled warmly. Sonic returned the grin and nodded himself. They both walked back, hand in hand, to the main room where all the servants were beginning to prepare for the wedding. The day both of them would remember for a very long time, and hopefully hold dear to their hearts.

Yeah...So sorry for the long wait! Things have gotten a bit hectic around here and with all these exams, I'm on the verge of tears! Okay, not really, but you get it. Anyway, again, sorry, an I hope all of you can forgive me! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thank you. R&R
~God Bless You~