Sonic and The Chaos Kingdom

Ch. 10

(I was totally re-reading and editing ch.9 when, towards the beginning of my 'look over' of the chapter, I got this amazing idea to start off the next chapter. I was like- WRITE THAT DOWN BEFORE YOU LOOSE IT, CHICKADEE! So I did x) )

A year had gone by, and the people were becoming endlessly restless for the trial of Shadow to happen already, but with Sonic's strict demand to uncover all faults, the efforts were taking longer than what the people had originally thought, and their impatience for justice and fear of the unknown happening started to enter into the ears of the Council…

Still upset with Sonic's bold move, they were a little skeptical of his leadership skills, resulting in Sonic feeling like he failed to 'impress' them, as they held onto the power given to them, till they deemed Sonic a mature and worthy king.

"Your Excellency, we understand your motives in allowing all and every act of war and murder the immortal prince Shadow has committed to be revealed at his sentencing, but we're afraid the people have spoken, and they want him dead.. now."

The Council had spent endless days discussing this, but this was the first time Sonic was invited to hear. As King, he could come in at anytime, but knowing Sonic, he probably had no idea this was going on.

Though Tails warned him about it a time or two…

Tails sat in his position, and looked to Sonic, worried on how he would be taking this.

Sonic stood in the center of the room, his head down with calm closed eyes…

His arms folded over as his royal robe hung on them slightly…

"….With all due respects," Sonic began, and then glared up a serious determined look towards the main Chieftain of the Council. "My order still stands." He threw his robe back behind him, and walked out.

The council was in an outrage, they demanded him to stay, standing up and pounding on their wooden ringed podiums in front of them, which circled the whole room.

They couldn't overrule his standing, cause they had still given him power over judgment, and he was the final say in the things of it.

Tails, in the frenzied anger, quickly escaped and went out another door.

Sonic walked down the courtyard, trying to think a way to calm the people down about their growing fear that something may happen to where Shadow is set free, before Tails flew up to him.

"What are you thinking..?" It wasn't in anger at all, in fact, it was the question of a friend, worried for how his best friend was feeling.

Sonic turned to look at him, then let out a breath of air and seemed very sad. "I'm thinking that people are more impatient than me as a collective body."

Tails laughed lightheartedly, "I think that's impossible." He joked.

"…" Sonic held his blank and sorrowful expression, as Tails looked worried about him..

"You know what?" Tails happily got an idea. "It's been a while since you 'escaped' right?"

Sonic's ears suddenly perked up, as his immediate attention turned to Tails.

"Haha, don't get too excited, there's a catch!" Tails moved his hands out in front of him, making sure Sonic's expectation of what that meant didn't get to his head. He raised a pointer finger with a wink, "You'll be under supervision, of course!"

Sonic's happy face quickly turned to a frown of disappointment.

"But…" Tails squinted his other opened eye, worried this was dampening his spirits again. "I'll make sure it's someone you know, someone that won't slow you down as you go exploring and… let out some steam and stress!" Even Tails liked to unwind some days, but he was busy today, he had to find a way to help Sonic and calm the Council down.

"…Knuckles?" Sonic raised an eyebrow, giving the offered suggestion, seeming alright with that idea.

"Uhh… looking for Egghead." Tails sadly stated the fact.

"Oh." That was important…

Sonic put a hand up to his chin…

"…Vanilla..?" he slowly moved his eyes back to Tails, worried that wouldn't work either.

"That would have been a good idea, but she's fillin' in for a sick maid." He again responded with a bit of a 'sorry' shrug.

Sonic pouted, his options were limited now, he knew Tails was busy, not only was he trying to get a treaty and alliance going with the newly formed Eggman Empire, but also trying to calm down the politics happening at home too…

"Then who-?"

"AMY! Sonic, Amy!" Tails was fed up his little 'get the two alone again' scheme wasn't quite working out the way he hoped. He put his hands to his hips, glaring at Sonic. 'what's a guy gotta do to set his best friend on a date here!' he was hoping to make it sound like Sonic thought of it himself, but when he was clearly not following, he had to imply himself.

"Oh… isn't she busy?"

Tails face-palmed, dragging his hand down in his frustration at just making this whole thing work. "Look." He put his hands out, as if implying to remain focused on what he's saying, "Everyone's busy, but she tends to finish her chores faster than any other maid. She's a hard-worker like that, but she spends the rest of the day avoiding the Chief maid, who just puts more chores on her because of her fast pace." Tails explained, as Sonic was apparently unaware of that.

He had heard her talking to the Chief Maid and her giving her more chores, but he had no idea that everyone knew that relationship…

Or maybe they didn't know the abusive part he knew..

He tightened his face.

If he let her come with him,… she could be fully free for a couple of hours from the worry of being ratted out by the Chief Maid… and he knew what it felt like to be trapped in these walls…

He looked away, thinking about it,….

"But knowing her… she'll probably think it's a date…" he contemplated it out loud, as Tails grabbed his ears and pulled them down, not understanding why his plans had to be so hard to carry through!

"It's a perfect idea and a good choice, Sonic!" Tails continued to try and convince him. "Besides, you can take some horses and move around the kingdom as you see fit. You'll be safe with Amy cause she illegally knows how to fight anyway." He shrugged, as if Amy's knight's training from her father was a well-known thing, which, not many people knew of Amy's skills…

"I guess you're right. Though, I really don't need a bodyguard." Sonic rolled his eyes, but decided to go along with it. "Where is Amy, anyway?" ever since a year ago, he hadn't really spent much time with her. Just little banters here and there.

"Hehe~" Tails lowered an eyelid, with a cheeky grin, knowing exactly where she was.

Amy was assigned to tend the horses today, but while finishing early, she took it upon herself to exercise the horses and play with them, getting to know them by name and hopefully, stay far from on-looking eyes.

The Castle didn't have a huge 'front-yard' so to speak. It was curved, as the castle was very much a curved ring on the outside walls. So there was little space between the castle's front door and the big gates, but the citizens still liked to crowd around as much as they could, even settling around the outer walls when their were announcements or parties, like Sonic's last birthday celebration.

She sighed, 'he didn't even attend for that long, haha! Went back to reading those old legends again." She liked how Sonic was still very much young at heart in the sense that he read adventures and books on exploration. He would never lose his sense of wonder for nature and peril, and she kinda liked that.

She, herself, longed for adventure and some peril,… b-but not too much peril.

She sweatdropped, thinking to herself before seeing a horse she wasn't familiar with.

Carrying some treats in a bucket for the horses, she smiled and decided to be friendly.

"Hello, there!" she waved, looking to the Horse's name plate. "Wind…Rider? Huh, that's a cool name." she happily jumped up to hang over the edge of the horses stall, as he moved back, turning his head away from her presence back and forth.

"You're lucky." She whispered to him, "You're clearly not Knuckles's horse. He gives them weird names." She grinned in her teasing ways.

He continued to ignore her, his ear flicking at her, as if gesturing for her to go away, and his eyes would look at her, and then away again. He held his neck to the side, still wanting to be as far from her as possible.

"Aw, you're a beautiful stallion! Very handsome. I like the faded shades." She flattered him, turning her own head and lowering her eyelids to look as if she was flirting. "What brings you here? A gift for Sonic or..?" she reached her hand forward, but the Horse just nipped at it, as if warning her to not come closer.

"Ah! How rude!" She pushed her arms up to be straight, and hung on the edge of the horse's stall door, acting deeply offended. "And after I thought we were just starting to be friends." She puffed up her cheek. "Well, there's only one way to tame a wild heart~" she picked up a riding hat and winked.

Sonic and Tails made their way out to the horse's stalls, near the front of the castle from the gates, and heard a ruckus going on.

"Amy!" they thought something bad might have happened, and dashed forward, only to see her riding a bucking Wind Rider, clearly upset she had straddled him and got a saddle on his back and decided to take him for a ride.

"Wahhhhhh-hoooo!" she seemed to be having a blast, a true cow-girl from being raised on her father's farm, she held onto that noble steed as it reared and tried everything in it's power to kick her off.

"Come on! Is that the best you got?! I've riddin' bulls with half the determination and velocity as you!"

Sonic and Tails were very impressed, though Sonic wasn't happy she was riding his horse; Tails was indeed in awe at her bravery and wild spirit.

"Hyah!" Wind Rider's nostrils flared as he came to a stilled stop for only a moment, growing more and more frustrated that he couldn't get her off.

He zoomed into a fast paced circle, and then the other way, before charging to the sides of the castle, and trying to skid her across it without getting himself.

"Ohhh, you're a smart horse!" she grew excited with the challenge, and pulled the reins to make him stay clear of any obstacle he was trying to get her with.

He reared once more, and jumped in place, bouncing her but she still wouldn't budge.

Finally, the horse was beat, and Wind Rider's legs shook in how much he had done in just a few minutes…

Amy also breathed heavily, but with a big grin on her face.

She wiped her forehead, "Whoo… who said you can't tame the wind?"

Tails's eyes glittered in hope.

Sonic looked disturbed, uncomfortable, and every bit of him was conflicted in taking her with him now…

"She's perfect!" Tails literally threw his arms out towards her, excited as ever and more confirmed in his ideas to put the two together.

Sonic gave him a funny look, and he quickly changed his stance.

"I-I-I mean f-for the getaway! …haha…" he nervously held his arms in, and tried to fake off what he was meaning by that…

He stood straight and scratched the back of his head, the other arm behind his back. "W-well, you two should be going then." He stated, looking around. "The Guards have just seen you with me, and if I tell them I allowed the moment of fresh air for you, with someone to attend to you, they may be content for awhile…" he looked to Amy, rubbing his hands secretively and then racing forward.

After all… Amy was his friend too~

"Amy! Have I got a proposition for you!" he stated, as Sonic didn't like how enthusiastic he was about all this. He folded his arms and continued to be grumpy about it, muttering to himself about how he could lose Amy and go off on his own… That he really didn't need a 'babysitter', so to speak.

"What do you mean, Tails?" Amy still sat on an adjusting Wind Rider, who was just catching a second wind before he was going to do anything more.

He huffed, and she smiled lovingly to him, before getting off and making sure he didn't bolt.

"Woah, there… haha." She patted him, and then saw the stable boy and waved to him, cupping her free hand to have her call travel as she stated, "He's good! You can give him his treats now!" the stable boy quickly ran over and took the horse from her, as he neighed a moment and allowed the boy to guide him back to his place.

"Ah, Amy, I was hoping you could take Sonic for a- well um.. 'A walk.'" Tails leaned forward and put a hand up to whisper to Amy, as she giggled.

"Oh good, he needs one." She chimed. "What can I do?"

"I just want someone I can trust to keep an eye on him, he's been getting hound-down by the Council, who in turn have been being choked alive by the complaints of the people about Shadow's trial.."

Amy lowered her head, "Yeah… I've heard about that." She looked back to Sonic, almost heartbroken he had to be in the mess of all that.

Then she looked to the side, as if thinking something else too…

"Well, will you help me?" Tails smiled, "Well, and Sonic too. I just want to make sure he's alright. It's hard to be under this much stress and not have an outlet, you know? His feet must be itching to run!" Tails looked every bit that wanting to run with Sonic too, but he knew his place was here, at least, for now. "Will you do it?"

"Of course, I will, Tails! Anything for my dear king~" She bowed humbly, and then looked to Sonic, growing excited to be alone with the young king~

"Well, it looks like it's just you and me! Hehe!" she had a closed-eyed grin and put her hands confidently to the side in closed fist on her hips, looking spunky as ever, as Sonic just rolled his eyes, knowing she may be planning something…

The two straddled up, Amy on a beautiful painted horse, brown and white, and Sonic on Wind Rider, who even after his little 'exercise' looked more than willing to race off again.

"Bye, Tails! I'll take good care of the king!" she called back, raising a hand up to say goodbye, as Sonic looked upset by her referring to him as 'king'.

"You know you don't have to do that, right?" he complained, moving on ahead as the gates began to open.

"Aw, but it's a pleasant reminder that you're really something." She flirted, but Sonic just groaned.

"Have fun you two! But not too much fun! Or at least,… just be safe!" Tails called back, making Sonic even more uncomfortable.

'What's he planning? What are they both planning!? Is anyone on my side?!' Sonic wondered, having the nagging feeling that he was being deceived and betrayed somehow, but continued onward.

The gates opened up wider and wider…

Creaking and shaking as they did so, before…

Wind…

His eyes scanned the horizon before him, a look of wonder crossed his eyes.

Freedom…

Amy came up behind him, smiling as ever, and always in good spirits as she stated, "Well, I have a few favorite places I could show you, but what do you say we-"

He charged.

"Sonic!" Amy's horse was startled, as she quickly got hold of it and bolted off after him. "W-wait for me!"

The two raced off towards the village below, as the world was finally opened to Sonic at last! And best part was? He knew Amy would let him get away with whatever the heck he wanted to do!

Today was looking to be a great escape~

-The dungeons of the Chaos Kingdom…

within the Palace walls..-

A woman walked down the steps to the Palace prison, and was stopped by a pair of guards.

"Ma'am, we must ask what you're carrying." They stated.

She smiled and reached into her cloak.

The men tightened their grips on their spears…

She pulled out a painters sketch board.

"I was hired by a wealthy man to paint the face of the immortal prince… you know, before his head and body are separated. It's terrible hard to paint a jigsaw puzzle." She took out a paint brush and winked.

The guards looked at each other, and then moved to let her through.

"If he gives you any trouble, ma'am…" One guard began to state, before she turned her head back to him, lifting a hand up to his face, flirtatiously.

"I can handle myself~" she teased, and walked on. "Or any man for that matter…"

She came up to the bars of Shadow's cell, seeing him on the ground, arms folded, and eyes shut tight, before the guard closed the adjacent door, leaving them alone.

She smiled, and pulled out her sketch board, quickly starting to work.

"My~ You look horrible." She kid, as he didn't budge.

His reaction to not reacting at all made her mad, as an anger mark showed up on the side of her head.

"Goodness, you don't have to be so rude. It's been a year you know."

"…Enough of your playful banter, Rouge." Shadow finally spoke, and looked up, the shadows hiding his eyes from view. "What do you have for me?"

"Some updates." She found a stool and placed it near the cell, sitting and kicking her leg up and taking her sketch board and starting to paint on it again.

"Ohh,… such a nice form." She admired him from her drawing, and continued. "You're people started building their own government, basically burned everything that reminded them of you in the city square." She blew on her picture, hoping the paint would dry quicker for a second layer to start. "I honestly think they're not missing you, isn't that terrible?"

"…What of Eggman?"

Rouge peered over at him now, but still couldn't see his face.

"…He's gone into hiding." She stated, continuing her work. "I'm surprised you would ask, a little alarmed too. It's better, for the most part, that he's out of the picture now."

"You don't believe that…, do you?"

Rouge placed her paint brush down… the room was still for a moment with silence.

"…What concerns me is…" she began, her eyes in shadows before moving them up to the light again, looking away.

"When he fled, he took his whole army with him… all that weren't freed from being roboticized, that is. Because of the Chaos Blast that happened and purified the whole continent."

Shadow leaned his head up further.

"…I'm actually surprised the Chaos Kingdom hasn't killed you yet." A look of concern passed her eyes. "Shadow…"

"Save your sentiments. This war isn't over." Shadow got up, and walked towards her, but not to the edge of the cell. He lifted a hand up, where the light was able to touch.

His eyes glowed with the flames of the torches, and he tightened his fist quickly.

"I remember my promise to Maria… I no longer need a liar to direct me…" His anger was so subtle but powerful that even Rouge felt the essence of intimidation. She quickly got up.

"Shadow, are you seriously planning to-?"

"I'm removing Eggman from his position." He flung his arm out, stating the act like a true king. "I have no need for advisors… I know my next move." He turned around and headed back to the back of the cell.

"Tell no one, Rouge. I expect you back here in another year…"

"Another year?!" Rouge leaned forward, shocked by his words. "But,… they'll have you killed in a year!" she put her hands to the cell, terrified for his life.

"…Sonic wants me to hear and feel every memory of my wrongdoings before I am to die…" he turned around, the only thing visible were the bottom of his legs and his smirk…

"They'll have many memories to find."

-Outside the palace walls-

"Sssooonnniiccc! Slow down!" Amy's horse tried to keep up, but with Sonic having abandoned Wind Rider, which was now strapped by the reins to Amy's borrowed horse, he raced like a giddy child all over the market streets and open plazas of the small village.

His tongue hung out, open mouthed and ready to see more. His eyes lit up at every big turn or excitement that happened in the village.

Amy just couldn't believe his dumb expression of wanting to be apart of every noise and every action, but she finally stopped her horse when she saw streaks of blue every which way, and sighed. "Well, at least he's getting his 'walk'." She humored herself.

She finally got his attention by summoning her hammer, and hitting a bell near her.

Sonic stopped and zipped up to her, as the citizens all looked to the bakery bell, and noticed Amy.

"What's up?" Sonic, in a very happy mood, posed for her and waited for her response, folding his arms comfortably over himself.

Before she could say anything, a woman and some children around her came up.

"Miss Amy!" She excitedly gasped out. "It's been so long!"

"Ah! Madam Veronica!" she was thrilled to see her, and quickly got off her horse as the children swarmed her, jumping on her and tackling her as she laughed and tried not fall over.

"How's the school going?" she asked, as the woman sighed and nodded, as if it was the best they could do.

Amy understood, and continued to play with the children.

Sonic was amazed at how much Amy was so easily recognized, as the girls chatted, some more people came up, and he started to feel too 'seen' so he moved behind the horses, not wanting the 'paparazzi' or 'adoring fans' to suddenly swarm him either. I mean, when he moved fast, they could barely see him! But standing around like this, that could be hazardous…

"Miss Amy, Miss Amy! This is for you!" One of the small boys handed her a rose, as she happily took it, bending down to his level.

"Thank you so much, Brandon! It's beautiful." She took a sniff, as he quickly moved and kissed her cheek.

The other boys and girls gasped.

"Haha! I did it! Now I'm her boyfriend!" The little boy happily put his arms proudly to his sides, as the other boys tackled him, all shouting, 'Not fair! Not fair! Nor fair!'.

Amy just nervously laughed and got up when an older man, holding his wife's hands, also came up her.

"Miss Amy, you have no idea how much you're charitable giving to our humble village has blessed our home…" the man stated, as Amy recognized them at once.

"Velma, Steven… how is little Mary?" She asked, as Sonic was amazed she knew all these people by name.

The woman nodded, "She's recovering well, thanks to you." She looked at Amy like she was a guardian angel, as Sonic had never seen someone look to another like that before…

He turned to some more people, who also had the same expression on their faces…

He looked back to Amy. He knew she would help out by giving some of her portions of her salary to help the cause of the kingdom out through charity work, but he had no idea what she'd really been doing all this time…

"Oh, I'm just more than happy to help." She stated, humbly. As the rest of the town offered her food or clothing, and she turned them down, just accepting a small apple by a sweet young girl with pigtails.

Sonic and her walked with their horses in hand to some of the locations Amy thought Sonic would like to see, and while they did so, he couldn't help but keep taking glances at her when people would greet her or thank her for something she did…

"Oh, Miss Amy! Thank you so terribly much for the shoes! I haven't had an aching toe since!"

"You're very welcome, Wilbur! Anytime!"

"Miss Amy! You're looking quite lovely today."

"So are you, Miss's Humphre! I love the new hat!"

The old woman giggled, "Such a nice girl… hmmm?" she lowered her tiny glasses as Sonic flinched and looked away, still trying hard not to be noticed…

"Hehe, I keep telling you, no one's gonna recognize you without your fancy robe or crown." Amy reassured him, but he kept feeling too noticeable…

However, the only one getting well-recognized was Amy! Which made him wonder about that…

"..Everyone… really loves you,… huh, Amy?" Sonic stated, looking down at the ground as she turned to him, a little surprised before she smiled.

"I like to consider myself a friend to all." She looked up and away, admiring the big open sky with clouds, before pointing to one. "Hey! Haha, look at that one!"

Sonic looked and the two continued on, arguing whether the cloud was two dueling swordsmen or two pretty ponies.

After arriving at the water's edge, near a sandy beach, Amy spread her arms out and fell down on the sandy terrain. "Ahh~ Now this is the life!" she stretched out and let her arms fall above her head.

Sonic looked down and smiled, before looking over the water.

"…It's got a nice breeze." The wind was moving fiercely over the water's edge, and he just loved it all the more.

Amy took a peek too, seeing his serene look, and giggled.

He broke his content expression and blinked, looking down at her, "What?" he looked a little annoyed that she broke his 'happy place' expression.

"Haha! I just think you're funny, that's all." She rolled over.

"Funny? About what?" He glared down at her, leaning down and putting his hands on his sides.

"You're always talking about the wind. Wind this, wind that." She moved her head which and every way as she said it, and wondered to herself, laying her chin on the sand… 'When do I get to win that same praise?'

"You're always just… admiring the wind." She got up, and looked to him, sitting on her knees. "But have you ever noticed the ocean?" She stretched her hand out to it, as he looked out over the beautiful blue, and made a face.

"Haha, I know you can't swim, but that doesn't mean you can deny its beauty." She gazed at it with loving grandeur and respect, before then looking to the sky. "And I know you've stared at the sky so many days and nights, wishing to fly out of the birdcage you often feel in… but have you ever looked at the ground?" she looked up, before lowering her gaze to a beautiful lily in front of her, swaying in the breeze.

She crawled over to it, and lowered her muzzle to gently be brushed up by it, and giggled at the texture, before holding out a hand and sniffing it.

"I bet you never noticed… that all flowers smell differently." She got up, and looked back to him, as he seemed a little offended.

"I'm not trying to tell you what to believe or that you don't notice the world around you. But I'm trying to say that there are so many things to be thankful for that you do have. Oh, Sonic. You have so much power to do so many good things!" she had her arms behind her back, but now she let them spread out in front of her. "If I had that kind of power…" she turned away from him, looking sorrowful at the thought, and turned to the ocean, her hair blowing beautifully in the wind.

Sonic took a moment to listen and stare… it was the first time he really saw her contemplating something real and not some silly love scheme about him…

Her voice drew serious but beautifully longing at the same time…

"I would want to change the world… for the better."

Sonic thought about her words, and nodded.

"Maybe I will."

He smiled, having replied to her, and she turned around to share the same smile with him.

"I hope so."

She stated.

"I truly hope so."

The two began to ride back into town, laughing with one another before someone shouted out 'Help!'.

The two looked out to see a band of men in black, grabbing something from the old lady Amy had complimented about her hat, and saw them tear down her store.

"Please! Someone! They've stolen my family jewels!"

Sonic's heart raced with excitement, he was pulled towards the scene, and quickly started racing towards them.

"Hey!" he cried out, as the men got spooked, and started to run.

"Sonic!" Amy bolted after him, worried, but the second he jumped off his horse and sped towards them, knew he would be okay.

She raced after his horse, knowing it too wild to stick around, and quickly lassoed it back to her horse.

"Now, Cow. Make him stay." She stated, and rolled her eyes at the name. "Knuckles sure names his horses funny." She commented to herself, before summoning her hammer, and running into the fray.

The men looked behind them, seeing Sonic steadily making progress on them, even while they were on horseback.

They sweatdropped, and started throwing things back at him.

He dodged impressively, as if by instinct, and loved the stretch of his stride in his feet.

"Now, … this is what I'm talking about!" he bolted forward, and the men looked behind them, their horses stopped by Sonic's reversal of wind movement, having them be blown from behind instead of upfront, as the men covered their faces with their arms, and looked around.

"W…Where'd he go?" One asked, before suddenly one of their men was kicked off their horse, Sonic mounting instead, and looking around too. He put a hand up to his eyes and pushed up to 'scan' the area.

"Don't know, but maybe he's close." Sonic spoke out.

"We'll have to keep moving, the town watch will be on our back soon-" the man turned around to see Sonic's smirking face right directly in front of him.

He bounced his eyebrows at him.

The man awkwardly sweatdropped, before pulling out a knife, which Sonic laughed at, and as the man stabbed, easily dodged as if he was a mirage.

The men all looked freaked out, as the man with the knife pulled away, having seen one version of Sonic laughing, holding his gut, and the other Sonics all moving around and dodging every direction he stabbed the knife in.

Sonic ended his little charade by flinging his head back, continuing in the laughing stance, before stopping to look at the men.

"I'm Sonic. Hero and King of the Chaos Kingdom. Whatever you stole, return it now and I'll go easy on ya." He confidently struck a heroic look, narrowing his eyes towards them as he still was on the back of a horse, backwards, and pointed to the men.

The men looked at each other, realizing who they were up against, and then pulled the horses to start running the other way.

"H-huh!?" Sonic was surprised they didn't just give up, but comically shrugged. "Wouldn't be fun without a struggle." He smirked again and jumped off the horse, spin dashing.

"Aw… I would really like to help…" Amy faked looking helpless as the men charged her, looking to each other and grinning wickedly. They were thinking of using her to escape so Sonic wouldn't hurt them, before Amy yawned and a giant hammer came out from behind her, making the men's eyes all shake and grow wide with fear and shock.

"But that would mean taking the fun out of it for Sonic… so I think I'll just corral you here…" her whole body seemed to radiate a burst of fire, as if threatening the men to not flee from Sonic, as they all helplessly cried out in fear and ran back the way Sonic was on their horses.

They were all Spin dashed off their horses then, and fell to the ground with dizzy eyes.

Two or so got up, not giving up, and moving their cloaks and disguised hoodies as they started to charge Sonic with their fists.

Sonic dodged and tripped the first guy, keeping his hands up, and then punched out the other two.

"Too easy." He struck another pose and rubbed his finger under his nose, lowering his head and moving a foot behind the other.

The men were all piled up in one spot, and groaned in their pains, as Amy quickly hammered a few broken wood pieces together, and used the other men to help her repair the damages on the old woman's home, before the guards came and took the men prisoners.

Amy and Sonic, with her hammer on her shoulders, looked to each other after the men were being hauled away in ropes around their wrists, and bro-fisted.

As they went home, they stopped to water their horses near a well, as Amy drew the water, Sonic leaned on the well's side, and thought a moment…

He was getting nervous, and fidgeting, but Amy didn't know why.

She would look over to him a few times, seeing him kick a rock or two, but just look away with a shrug, and ignore it.

"…Amy…" Sonic finally spoke up, as Amy 'hmm?'d to show she was listening as she poured the water into the trough for the horses.

"….What if… you did have… say… the power." Sonic motioned his hands when he said it, and then slightly turned his head back to lean back, and looked up and over to try and see her expression. "How would you change the world with it?"

"…" Amy's heart raced, she had more than anything hoped Sonic remembered his promise to her and would make her a judge or something, to truly start to change the kingdom into a better place. "I would make sure the people are happy, first." She stated, and continued to go for another bucket of water, putting the bucket on the hook.

Sonic turned and leaned his arms on the well, listening…

"I would declare peace and prosperity! Continue my charities but on a larger scale. I would enact justice and give hope to those who had previously lost it." She closed her eyes, smiling at the thought of all the joy her ideas would bring these poor people in often times, difficult circumstances.

She then looked lovingly down, a sweet smile on her face, as her thoughts turned to the future… "I would set up schools, and teach people they can be whatever or whoever they wanted to be in life, that your upbringing didn't settle your destiny.."

Sonic looked at her expression, and seemed to like what he was seeing. "And..?" he continued, encouraging her to go on.

"A-and?" she blinked at him a moment, before looking up again. "Ah!" she nodded, and drew the water. "I would, rrrrgggh. Try to, rrrgghhh.. be the best I could be! Working rrrahh! Hard!" she drew the water, as Sonic quickly reached over, moving behind her, and grabbed the rope as well.

Her cheeks suddenly blushed, big bubbles of yellow and pink with sparkles flew around her in her vision…

He was directly behind her, their hands were literally touching, as he helped pull the water up with her.

She almost felt her face burst with steam as her eyes got hazy in all the butterflies dancing in her stomach.

"Heh, then you're hired!" he stated, and grabbed the bucket, pouring for the horses before looking back at her. "I'll be counting on you then." He grinned a closed-eyed beaming look towards her.

Her heart skipped a beat, not quite sure what he was meaning, but definitely felt something within her grow excited and happy!

The two returned home, as Tails was thrilled to hear about everything, before getting freaked out that they had stopped some thieves together.

More so, he heard from Sonic later on in the library about how much Amy was loved by the citizens of the Chaos Kingdom, and her knowledge of the beautiful sights there were to see. Sonic yawned and shrugged on the comment about whether he thought it a date or not, and waved Tails off about it, saying he was tried and didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Tails quickly pulled out the scroll, when Sonic was fully out the door, and scribbled two more check marks over Amy's name. "Hehe, at this rate, she'll be only one standing!" he chuckled to himself, as of now, there weren't many names listed with hers on the paper…

-later that night..-

The guards opened the door, as Shadow raised his head up, as Amy came down the steps, holding something, and then turned to watch the men close the door.

She took off her small hood and put the small dish down and pushed it under the cell.

He watched her a moment, and this time, instead of just taking the dish, he quickly moved and grabbed her hand.

"Ah!" she squinted an eye shut at his firm grip, as he stared her down with a cold-harsh look.

"Why do you keep feeding me?" he asked.

She tried to wiggle away, "Y-you're… your hurting me." She was able to get the words out, fear still clinging to her though.

"…Answer me." He tightened his hold, narrowing his eyes further at wanting to be answered properly.

"Ach..!" she bite down on her teeth, and through them gritted, she closed her eyes and stated, "Because you didn't kill me."

His eyes blinked in surprise at her answer, and let her hand go.

She fell backwards, landing on her bottom, and rubbing her wrist where he had grabbed her, before pouting back to him and looking cutely upset.

"Some way to show you're gratitude!"

He moved back, sitting down, and took the dish he had scattered in his attempt to grab her, and put the grapes all back on it, along with the pieces of bread, and began to eat.

"I wasn't sure."

"You could have asked!"

"I didn't know if you'd respond."

She continued to look frustrated at his 'manners' before he spoke again.

"Your entire kingdom wants me dead, and yet you feed me. Was it wrong to be curious as to why?"

Her face tightened up, a bit of a noise slightly escaped her but she looked down and away.

"…You once told me.. you're not as bad as the legends make you out to be…" she bended her ears down. "I still don't like you… especially for what you did to Sonic's family but…" she looked back at Shadow, who stared her down in intrigue, but never showed it.

"…You showed me an act of kindness… after a brutal act of bloodthrist." She glared slightly at him, but there was more a confusion to her look. "I don't understand you, but I feel it wrong to assume that I can't repay kindness, just because you're wrongs outnumber your rights."

Her words were kinder than Shadow had anticipated, and he blinked a moment, before flinging his head back and laughing at her logic.

"Ah!..w-what's so funny!?" she leaned up quickly, almost at the edge of the cell bars, and had tightened her fist to the point where they were shaking, deeply upset by him making fun of her.

"You're a lot like your father… following the code of chivalry…" he suddenly, and very abruptly, thrust forward.

The dish in his lap flung off as Amy tried to move back, but his face was so close to hers through the bars of his cell, that his brilliantly shining red eyes stopped her cold in her movements.

"… I will take this kingdom down… whether you're in it or not… matters not to me." He glared.

She winced and moved back, feet kicking to get away in her fright.

Her slight whine made him chuckle, as he leaned back. "I'll admit though,… you'd do well as my clown, haahahaha!" he laughed again, thinking her amusing. "Why that Sonic hasn't made you a royal jester is beyond my understanding, hahaha!"

His teasing of her made her start to tear up, her feelings being hurt, that her kindness was being mocked, that she quickly rushed up, leaning down to grab the dish that was slightly cracked now from under the bars of the cell, and raced out, holding an arm up to hide her tears.

When the door closed, he immediately stopped laughing, and stared…

"It's better that you cry then be framed with the thought of being a traitor to your kingdom." He silently slipped back into his position in the back of the cell wall, and leaned his head back, as he was only thinking of her best interests…

A Knight should never show sympathy to the enemy.

"But they must always offer mercy."

Amy repeated the Knight code her father taught her and remembered how he had stated you could replace 'mercy' with 'empathy'.

She dried her eyes and looked at herself in the mirror of her maid's compartments. "He really is a bad guy." She stated, and shook her head. "But even still, I have a debt to repay…" she took the dish and hid it in one of her broken dressers, barely being able to open a crack, and then got into bed, putting her head down and thinking of Sonic and her today… and his question…

"I wonder if he'll change the law now." She wondered out loud, then smiled. "Then Shadow will see I'm a judge and a knight! No exceptions!" she still wanted to show him up! Though, she felt her hiding that she was feeding him more than they already were giving him in portions was probably best to keep under wraps… still, it made her feel good to return the favor of him sparing her life…

"Even if he is a big, fat, jerkish, meanie face!" she huffed out, and rolled over in her bed.

(No, this is not turning into Shadamy, and yes, there was some sonamy, and yes, Amy is stellar, lol!)