Author's Note: Shout out to my MVR's: MissMJS, Aliciathewolf45, Sad Little Demon, Jessica Shadow and whoever the hell you guests are, lol.

So, I knew my last chapter would bring controversy, but I wrote it for a reason. I did not kill off Amy's baby just for shock value. It's included because Amy's miscarriage brings another setback into the story that is just the beginning of the problems to come. This sequel will be much different from the first story. Amy and Shadow will face more conflicts, setbacks, and issues that will really push their relationships to its limits.

I find that relationships that face the most adversity usually come out the strongest. So, if you find yourself unhappy with some of the routes this story looks like it's going, all I'd say is stick around and you might just change your tune later down the line. Also, I saw a lot of people speculating that Isabelle had something to do with Amy's miscarriage. Nope, she had nothing to do with it.

Anyway, enough of that little tangent and onto the story!

•~•

Another morning had come and Amy and Shadow prepared for the day and got dressed. While Shadow stood in front of the standing mirror buttoning his shirt, Amy sat at the vanity putting on some earrings. The atmosphere in the bedroom had been oddly strange for the past few weeks now and Amy was finding it troubling. "So," she began breaking the silence. "Is there a reason why you haven't made a move on me for the past two weeks?"

Shadow straightened his clothes out as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He hadn't expected her to put him on the spot like that. Quickly, he debated on answering her truthfully in fear of hurting her. "I-I didn't know if you were ready yet."

She turned in her seat slightly to look at him. "I know losing our baby was a tragedy, but I want to try again as long as you're up for it."

He turned around to face her with a sincere smile. "You know I would love nothing more."

She stood from her seat and approached him. "We got pregnant once so I'm sure we can do it again. But I wanted to make sure because the way you've avoided any contact at night, I started to think you had given up hope."

He reached out to stroke her cheek. "I have not given up hope." Amy closed her eyes as he caressed her face. "I love you and I believe in you." He leaned in to kiss her, but a knock on their door stopped him. He sighed in disappointment from the interruption and pulled back. "Enter…"

Both Cordovan and Sonic swept into the room. "There's been another attack," Sonic announced.

"What now?" Shadow asked, suddenly growing concerned.

Sonic cross his arms over his chest. "The village was harassed last night by the three riders."

"Shadow informed me about these riders a few weeks ago, but I thought they had disappeared. It's been weeks since their first attack," Amy noted.

"Well, it appears they're back. They terrorized people out of their homes, burned down shops and vandalized the place. Many of the villagers are shaken from the assault," Sonic addressed.

Amy looked troubled by the news. "Were there any casualties?"

"It's uncertain for now," Cordovan answered.

"Interview the victims and find whoever was responsible for this attack," Shadow ordered. "I will not allow these delinquents to get away with this."

Sonic bowed his head out of respect. "Of course, Cordovan and I will continue our investigation."

•~•

In another part of the castle, Rouge made her way down one of the corridors but stopped when she heard an odd sound coming from around the corner. Quieting her footsteps, she went around the side curiously, only to find two female servants moaning together. The two servants were in the process of fondling and kissing one another against the wall obviously very heated in the moment. They giggled and moaned while they felt each other up sensually.

Rouge smirked at the sight and placed a hand on her hip before clearing her throat. "Ahem?" The two girls broke apart, startled by her presence. "Have you lost your minds?"

One of the servants, a female badger, adjusted her slouchy top, exposing her breasts. "Oh, please, milady!" she said, blushing from being caught in the act. Meanwhile, the other servant, a female skunk, only giggled in response.

Rouge smiled coyly. "Oh, don't bother to apologize. I do not judge what you do to tickle your fancy, but doing it out here in the open, really?" The female skunk suddenly picked up a book off the floor and hid it behind her back. Rouge took notice of the suspicious activity. "What is that?" she pointed.

"Nothing, milady," she replied.

Not buying her claim, she outstretched her right hand. "Give it here," she demanded curiously.

With some reluctance, the servant exchanged the brown journal to her. Once in her possession, Rouge began to flip through the pages of content to identify its origin.

"It's a journal, a chambermaid found it months ago abandoned in one of the rooms. We would have returned it, but the owner never wrote down her name," she explained. "It's been passed around as somewhat of a distraction for us."

Rouges' eyes stopped after reading a few lines on a page. She looked back towards the servants. "This is smut… and reading it clearly led to well…this," she spoke gesturing to their disheveled clothes. The two ladies smiled sheepishly. "So, as punishment, I'm confiscating it," Rouge smirked snapping the book shut.

"But!"

"No, I won't hear anymore, good day!" she smiled before turning on her heel and leaving.

•~•

Later that morning, Shadow returned to his bedroom, but as he walked over to his freshly made bed, he noticed something odd laid out on the pillow. As he got closer he realized it was a large splinter with a bloodstained tip. A flashback of the day of the jousting accident flashed in his mind. He remembered the exact moment when he pointed his lance just right in order to spear his father in the face. He shuddered at the thought then picked up the splinter, analyzing it with great detail. Why was it here? How did it get there? And lastly, who had left it to haunt him?

He gasped as he looked around his room, searching for his father's spirit. It had been a month since he had last seen his ghost, and he had thought he had rid his spirit for good. Quickly, he tucked away the splinter into the inside of his jacket pocket then left his room in a hurry. As he began his descent down the hall, his heart skipped a beat when he caught sight of something. Standing at the opposite end of the hall was his father. The two hedgehog's locked eyes in a standoff. Shadow began to open his mouth to address his spirit but heard another voice call his name first.

"…Shadow?" Shadow spun around and spotted Amy standing a few yards behind him. "You're needed in the throne room. It sounds urgent."

"Oh, right…" He walked a few steps towards her, trying to ignore his father's ghost lurking at the other end. "Uh, is there any news?"

"I'm guessing so, but they wanted to speak to you on their behalf." Shadow nodded slightly, then turned to look over his shoulder at the other end. Amy watched him, baffled on what he gawked at. From her point of view, she saw an empty hall, but as she observed his stance, it was clear that he was seeing something she wasn't. "Shadow, what are you looking at?"

His father's ghost smirked back at him before walking around the corner to disappear. Shadow scowled at the sight before trying to return to normal to address her question. "Uh, nothing," he answered coolly. "Amy, do you mind if you go to the throne in my stead? I have something else I need to do quickly," he said as he picked up his pace.

Amy opened her mouth to intervene, but before she could utter a word, he had already disappeared around the corner. Something was not right, and she needed to get to the bottom of it.

•~•

In the throne room, a group of nobles stood around waiting to hear the news. As requested by Shadow, Amy sat on the throne waiting herself. After a few minutes, Sonic came through the crowd, looking solemn from his return. "Where's Prince Cordovan?" she asked, looking for him among the crowd.

Sonic said no words and instead gestured to where he had entered. All eyes directed to the small gap in the crowd, where Cordovan walked through, carrying a body in a white sheet. Feeling his knees buckle underneath him, he fell to his knees as nobles gasped. Cordovan laid the body onto the floor then lifted the sheet to reveal the face of the murdered victim. As the sheet moved away, a young, light brown, male, hedgehog, no older than fifteen, laid dead for all to see.

Amy placed a hand to her mouth, disheartened by the sight. "Who is this poor boy? What happened?"

Cordovan lifted his head slowly towards her. "This is my sister's son," he said angrily, tears streaming down his face. "They murdered my nephew!"

Amy shot him an empathic look and placed a hand on her chest. "Cordovan, I am so sorry for your loss. I-I was unaware that your nephew resided in Mobius."

"My sister had him attend school here. Apparently, he was trying to protect those being terrorized by the horsemen last night," Cordovan explained. "He died a heroic death."

Enough was enough. These strangers were harassing her people, and now they were dying for their beliefs. "I will not tolerate this behavior. Not here, not in any part of Mobius."

•~•

Out on her balcony, Rouge enjoyed her alone time reading up on the journal she had taken from the servants. As her eyes read down the page, she couldn't help but be completely enveloped in the writing. It was pretty detailed and she could see why it had gotten the two servants so hot and bothered. "Rouge?" a voice called.

"Out here," she responded, continuing not to take her eyes off the pages.

Once finding her, Cream joined her out on the balcony. "I've been looking all over for you. What are you reading?" she asked taking a seat beside her.

Rouge pulled her eyes off the page and grinned eagerly towards her friend. "It's a sex journal," she laughed. "Written by some noble lady who visited court on several occasions."

"Sex journal?" Cream blinked a few times. "How far does it go back?"

"Two years," Rouge answered, flipping to the next page. "By the looks of it, she's had a lot of suitable males here at court."

"Do you recognize anyone from the pages?" Cream asked curiously.

"No, and I was a little nervous I'd see some sort of description of Knuckles in here, but thankfully they never crossed paths. But I tell you what; there is this very interesting suitor she slept with that's caught my interest. He has the highest rating in performance for a lover and has a triangle shaped black birthmark on his wrist."

"Guess I know what you'll be doing," Cream giggled. "I'm glad to see you smiling again, Rouge."

Her bright smile faded slightly. "It's been over a month now," she replied. "I know I need to move on, it's what Knuckles wanted."

"Of course, just one step at a time, Rouge," Cream smiled.

•~•

In the war room, Amy, Shadow, Cordovan, Lord Finitevus and other noblemen attended a meeting to discuss the events of the horsemen and the death of Cordovan's nephew. "I implore we initiate an act to slaughter every villager marked by the horsemen. They've renounced you as their ruler and they cannot be trusted!"

"That's only speculation," Amy argued. "We do not need any more death or violence. I will not tolerate it."

Shadow nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with Amy on this, Finitevus. I'm not comfortable with this idea."

"Didn't the first branded villager go mad and slaughter his entire family?" Finitevus argued.

"Well, yes, but-"

"—Listen to me, Shadow. If we don't show authority, anarchy will occur," Finitevus opined. "These riders are not mortal. They're clearly using some sort of sorcery to inflict evil onto your people when they do not bow to their demands."

"Don't listen to him, Shadow" Cordovan interrupted. "That Shepard was already mad, to begin with. No other branded individual has gone psychotic since. Please, if you do this, you're smiling on murder!"

"Please," Finitevus dismissed in annoyance at Cordovan's plea, before directing his attention back to Shadow. "I and your lords," he spoke, gesturing to the nobleman behind him. "Are begging you. Go through with this. It's the best and safest option," Finitevus bowed and the other nobleman followed suit.

Shadow looked among his noblemen, looking conflicted on his answer. Seeing Shadow consider them, Cordovan left in a huff not wanting to be there during his answer. Amy watched as the prince left miffed about the situation. Her heart felt for him in that moment; his nephew had been murdered protecting those from the riders, and now to call for execution on those marked only undid what he had set out to do in the first place.

•~•

After seeing how upset he was, Amy left the meeting to search for the prince. Eventually, she found him standing by the water's edge just outside the castle's walls to cool off his temper. "There you are," she said startling him. "I thought I'd keep you company."

He gave her a weak smile, acknowledging her presence. "Thank you, your grace. I'm sorry I was so rude with my brash exit, but I can't bear to be in the same room with that wretched snake Finitevus."

She nodded. "I understand; I feel the same way." The two continued to stare at the peaceful water as they stood there. "I wish I could meet with one of the victims these masked men are attacking."

Cordovan's ears perked at the mention. "…I know of one," he answered. Amy looked towards him and watched as he moved the sleeve from his right shoulder to the side, showcasing a branded mark of the riders.

Amy gasped at the sight, staring at the three pitchforks embedded into a brand into his skin. "...Cordovan."

"Yes, the brand of the three dark riders," he replied hiding his mark with his clothing. "I met them the other night, and let's just say it was very unpleasant."

Her ears fell flat against her head. "I'm so sorry…did they hurt you much?"

"They grabbed me off the streets on my ride home, held me down, and branded me. The burn wasn't nice, but they let me go after much resistant."

"I-I don't understand…why didn't you just lie?" she questioned.

"I'd rather have this mark than go out the cowardly way," he answered. Amy remained silent, unsure how to respond to the deed, as it seemed rather noble of him. "You don't think I'm soulless now, do you?" he laughed a little uneasily.

She shook her head. "Of course not."

He sighed in frustration. "These riders…they're not some sort of heretic. They're just paid brutes to instill fear into your people."

"Who do you think is truly responsible for the orders of these cloaked riders?" she inquired.

Cordovan hesitated on his response. Shadow had told him not to speak of their theory behind the riders to Amy, but he couldn't lie to her face now. Not after all they had been through for the past month together. "…I believe Conquering Storm may have something to do with it. What better way than to put fear into your people so they turn against you?"

"It's a smart tactic, one she would certainly come up with in her current position," Amy agreed.

"Please don't let Shadow go through with your noble's request. It won't do any good," he pleaded.

"I'll speak to Shadow about it, but I am certain that both of us are on the same page about this matter," she assured.

"I'll have to put my trust on your word, but thank you, Amy. I mean it," he smiled.

•~•

Meanwhile, in his quarters, Shadow scouted advice from Sonic after talking to Finitevus and the other nobles. "He wants to do what?" Sonic asked baffled by the prospect.

"Kill those that carry the mark. He believes these victims are now some sort of heretic," Shadow explained. "I don't know what to do, Sonic. Obviously, I know these people are innocent and sane, but if I don't agree, then the nobles will turn against me."

"Jeez, that does sound like a tough spot. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking I should stick to my own intuition and deny their requests and gain some respect from them."

"I think you hit the nail on the head, Shadow. This will only cause more problems if you go through with their request. The whole point of this mark is to drive fear into people. We'll be playing straight into their plan if we go through with Finitevus' request," Sonic pointed.

Shadow nodded. "You're right. I can't let Cordovan's nephew die in vain, or allow any of these victims to perish…"

•~•

Later, Shadow met with Finitevus in his study. The two stood by the fireplace to discuss the current conflict. "Have you made your decision then?" Finitevus inquired.

He nodded. "Yes, I decided I will not allow this these victims to suffer."

"What?" Finitevus barked. "Your highness, I think you're making a terrible mistake-"

"—I disagree, I think this is the best option, and it will be one that you will agree with too," Shadow interrupted. With that said, Shadow left the room, feeling determined and confident in his response. Finitevus watched as the ebony hedgehog left the room and huffed in response. He would find a way to change Shadow's mind, and with determination, he knew he'd find a way.

•~•

AN: Remember to leave me a review! I love to hear your feedback.