AN: Chapter will be edited as soon as I arrive home from work.

I hope you enjoy the final chapter. This is my second novel-like fanfic completed.

After many years of turmoil, war, and prejudice, after many years of hate and propaganda against both warring nations, Rouge, the Mistress of the West Kingdom, announced that she will be resigning her place as the queen, and will be taken over by King Rhyiuk, a lizard from the East that saw how much hate could blind a man and lead him to misery and destruction, and he kindly took care of the Mistress in his home when her insanity clouded her judgment and allowed her to no longer see the sunlight after the death of her husband.

Knuckles died, like so many of her loved ones. And shortly after, King Rhyiuk's son, Rhyium, died of the same illness.

The East and West were quite similar in a lot of ways. They suffered from the same spread of disease, the same pangs of hunger, the same perpetual darkness that clouded their minds and made them crazed and lust for blood. Rhyiuk refused for Rouge to be sent to an asylum, and instead allowed her in his kingdom. Her mind was almost completely scraped away by the corpses of her family and husband and the world nearly ending when she met the egg-shaped man who used to wish upon their destruction, but has since reformed and is now a chancellor to the king. His intelligence was lost, but he wished to do anything to make up for the lives he shed, and is now a counselor to both Rhyiuk and Rouge.

And as always, she drinks her tea, thinking of what she could've done to save her husband. She should've helped the pink quilled bitch and never decide on killing her. She never should've decided to make her name the black widow. She should've never killed those men. And now she thinks this is her punishment. Insanity. The death of Knuckles. The hate that came from her kingdom when she announced killing her own men and being as crippled as a leper.

Maybe it was her time to die soon. Maybe she would soon get the same disease that Knuckles and the rest of her family had.

And so be it, she thought. Nothing more could be done, nothing more could be thought, nothing more could be won and conquered. She was sure that Rhyiuk would be a great king, fueled by the anguish of losing his son and the anguish of how far the East and West have gone in their hatred, and she was sure he would make it right, and make it so.

She walked through the woods to see the grave of her dead husband. "Here lies Knuckles," it said. "A great fighter, a wonderful husband to Mistress Rouge, 2010-2039." And as if the sadness had crawled into her brain and began to devour it, she laughed. Her laughter choked and garbled down her throat into her body and the gun clankclankclanked against her, and she gave out one last utter of "goodbye, my kingdom, goodbye, my sweet Rhyiuk, and hello Knuckie, and hello to you too Satan."

Click.

And she was dead.

Rhyiuk planned for all of the East and all of the West to gather around for her funeral, for the one who brought them together, for their martyr, for their sweet queen that loved her husband dearly and was ready to do anything for him. Even give her life to see him.

The black widow was eaten by her own troubles, her own insanity, and not by her children that she was supposed to bring into the world. The black widow sought, and lost everything. But if she brought both the East and West together, it was meant to be, and her suffering was not in vain.

Amy Rose and Prince Sonic arrived back to their kingdoms, announcing that they wished for both the North and South to be brought together, and for their love for each other.

Of course, both the kings would not hear of this, as the Northern King still believed that the South killed his beautiful and precious daughter Diana, and he told Amy that he wished for her to never see this Prince Sonic and to never announce their love or the morphing of the two kingdoms ever again.

"I know that Prince Sonic is no longer a demon, but his father still killed Diana and I will still never forgive him! I don't care that you're in love with him, I loved my daughter too, but he just went ahead and one of his soldiers murdered her in cold blood! You can never see him again, please stay here and become the new queen for the North and forget your entire adventure ever happened!"

"I cannot allow that father!" He was silent. He never expected his own daughter, the one who used to been so meek and looked up to Diana so much simply because she was the bigger sister, to talk back to him. But Amy was no longer meek. Amy no longer looked up to anyone. Ever since he announced he banished her she has grown so much. She was more mature, calmer, and more rational, and she has faced so much that even her father himself couldn't think he would survive. He was still so proud of her, but he missed her during those days she was missing, and he was so sure that he lost yet another one of his daughters. Even if he still wanted her to stay, under the comfort of the kingdom and his watchful eye, he allowed her to speak, and he listened.

"I don't think the South killed Diana. I don't think Sonic killed her. He became cold during those months where Diana was gone often, but he had no reason or motive to kill her. Trust me, Sonic may have been cruel in his words and thoughts, but in his actions he barely did a thing against anyone, except to his horse Nanaka and he once attacked Rhyiuk, but he told me he regretted those things deeply, as he loved his horse and now Rhyiuk is a fair ruler in both the East and West. If he even killed her I'm sure he would open up about it, but he swears he would never do such a thing even under the curse! He's speaking the truth father, why won't you believe him?"

"Because I loved Diana!" he shouted, his voice shaking all the golden and silver treasures with its sheer strength. His voice was so loud that Amy's mother could hear it through the hallways, and she rushed into the throne room, worried and concerned, her large hand placed on the king's shoulder.

Amy'smotherwentthroughsomuch, he thought. Shesaidifshewasdead,shewould'vekilledherself.CertainlyastepfurtherthanIwould'vetakenifIeverfoundoutanotheroneofmydaughterswasdead.

His voice was still firm, but his face softened a little, believing that Amy was a big girl now, and she needed better reasons why she could never be with the man she loved. If he could ever convince her to do such a thing as never meet him again.

"I'm sorry Amy, but if you can prove to me that the South or Prince Sonic never killed Diana, then I will allow you to see him and maybe you can even get married and I will be no more than happy to throw you a grand ball. But I cannot forgive the man who may have killed her, and I cannot forgive the man who nearly killed you, no matter how much he's willing to amend for everything he did. He respects my decision to do so, but…" He just wanted to have his daughter in his arms again. He wished he could take her away from all of the dangers that this whole world of Neo Geo Forest had to offer, but he knew there was no convincing her. Amy would try to find the clues to who really murdered Diana, to be with the prince she dearly loved. But yet as she left the castle, he believed in her. He believed that Amy would find a way to be with Sonic, no matter anything he ever said to her. It was how her whole adventure got started in the first place. He wanted her to be with a man she never wanted to marry, and she ran away. And he was sure if he couldn't be convinced, she would run away again. Into the dangerous swamp and forest.

She's not a prissy princess anymore like I nearly raised her to be. She's all grown now. I'm sure there's nothing I can do to stop her from being with the man she loves.

He looked back out to the garden, noticing the small fragments that remained from the clay doll of Isabelle he destroyed. Almost all of the pieces were nearly gone. And he wasn't sure why that would be.

Amy set herself out to go to the South, to meet her beloved. If her father was going to try to stop her again, she would just set out to the forest again and meet him. She did it before. And she was willing to do it again.

As she walked, her eye caught a glimpse of a green snake with red circular markings on its scaly skin, its color and markings wholly familiar. She waited as it slithered down the tree and into the ground, and she saw the woman with the forest green hair and the green lips and the moss and bladed grass eyes to appear before her.

"That's one thing I always liked about you Amy Rose. You're determined to do anything for the people you love. You made this entire year very exciting and you even had the gall to bring the West and East together. And I'm very soon you will bring the North and South together too. Because I have reason for your father to know that it wasn't Sonic or even the South who killed Diana. It's been so long since her death has happened and it's still making headlines around your home, isn't it? Your father cares and loves you very much, and never wants to be separated from his daughters again, I see. That's why I made the bargain for him to kill Sonic and I will bring his clay daughter Isabelle to life. But I see we don't need to do that anymore."

"You what? You wanted him to kill Sonic? I know I'm not supposed to question you, but, what are you…"

Her leaf tipped fingernail shushed her and her brimming anger.

"I'll just come clean for you, and I will make you a deal. I was the one who killed Diana, but I have a very good reason for it. If I didn't kill Diana, then none of this would've happened. The wars, your father wanting you to grow up just as fast as her and have the arranged marriage, you running away and meeting Sonic and saving him and ultimately falling in love with him…I wanted the kingdoms to come together, but I had to light the match to start the fire that would bring it all together. The renewal of the kingdom. The rebirth. And I had to have a very important person to die. You understand that, don't you? That I had to make her die so I can light the one match to start this whole forest fire to give life to a new set of trees with its ashes?"

"The slit on her neck…" She realized that the Forest Goddess could transform to any kind of animal she wanted to be. A snake, a parrot, even the same beast that nearly took Sonic's life as he would slowly transform into it. It was a very delicate, very intricate plan to blame the death on Sonic to start the war and to start Amy's journey to find him.

And no one could question the Forest Goddess on why did these things. She can bring chaos, and she can bring order. She had plans for everything. She can give, and she can take too. She was sure she had a more delicate plan for the rest of the kingdom, and for the rest of Neo Geo Forest. While the Forest Goddess was cruel, she was also wise, and knew that this plan would work.

"But…I have something that will make up for it, Rose. I'm willing to give your father, and you and Sonic a very special gift for playing along in my plans. Just close your eyes, and soon you will hear a sound, and I want you to look above this tree and pluck it. This will be the last time you will hear from me Amy Rose, and I swear this gift will bring you years upon years of happiness for your father and for you and Sonic. Just…close your eyes."

And she did. She could sense that the Forest Goddess disappeared in the darkness with a flap of wings from transforming into a bird of some kind, but as she wondered what the Forest Goddess was possibly talking about with a gift, she heard crying a few feet above her. A crying that sound like it would come from a baby when it was just born unto the world.

She opened her eyes, and looked to see that there was a cradle in the branches of the tree. It rocked slowly, under the glare of the sun, then from the soft rustle of the wind that tickled the tree, it dropped and landed unto Amy's hands. She uncovered the baby from the pink blanket that it was bundled in, as it continued to mewl softly, comforted by her embrace.

The baby looked exactly like her sister, Diana.

"Daddy Sonic, pick me up again, I want you to play with me!"

"I can't right now sweetheart, it's your bedtime. I'll get your mother here and she can send you off to sleep. Tomorrow is a big day, so I want you to get as much rest as you can, do you understand?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

He picked her up, the purple hoglet being carried by the kind Prince Sonic, him smiling sweetly as he called her mother, Amy Rose, to her bedroom. It was a long night, and tomorrow would be the day where they would announce the coming together of the North and South, a new rebirth for the kingdom. And they wanted their daughter to witness the event, the opening of the roads that went across the entire forest and swamplands to their brothers, and the entire kingdom would be in harmony and in peace. And it was not something that he wanted her to sleep through. It was something that he wanted everyone to witness.

The pink hedgehog arrived in her room, wearing a royal pink garb that her father picked out just for her, her father, possibly the happiest man alive right now, seeing his daughter so grown up and seeing all of the kingdoms in peace after so many years. It was something he thought he would never see in his days. As she sat down on the seat by her bed, and watched as their daughter, Diana the Second, was tucked in by her husband. He gave her a small kiss on the forehead, and said, "Goodnight Diana. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight Sonic. Do you think mom can sing me the song that I love so much? You know, that song you said you heard a long time ago?"

"Well, I guess it wasn't so long ago I heard it," she said, as her fingers curled up with Sonic's, the both of them smiling. "But of course I can sing it to you again sweetie. Anything for you, my darling little princess."

Sonic and Diana closed their eyes, listening intently and dreamily, as she sang the song of so long ago.

Don't cry little one, don't be afraid

Don't be afraid of your emotions

Trapping you in a mental cage

We are still here, you and me

And I will protect you, don't be scared to look and see

We will hold hands until the jaylark sings

Until the sun and moon are a'hanged over the trees

Our bodies are united, we will never part

We will fly together, I will take you under my wing

And you will forever know of

A dragonfly's heart

She thought that Sonic fell asleep under her voice, but as soon as she gently shook him, he awoke, gazing at their daughter, sound asleep in her bed.

"Isn't she precious, Amy? I can't believe the Forest Goddess was kind enough to give us this gift."

"Yeah. Yeah she is. But…I can't believe on how far I've gone, Sonic. It seems so long since I met you. Since I went to the forest because my father thought that whole arranged marriage was going to work out and all. Even if you were under a curse, I'm so glad I helped you, and I'm so glad I stuck with you during that time. I think you're just as big as a gift as Diana was."

"Yeah, you think so?" He smirked. "I'm glad to know that even when I had a black heart, you stuck with me too. If I was with myself during all that time I'm sure I would've given him a big punch in the face if you know what I mean."

"I know," she said, not even laughing at his joke, too absorbed in the moment. "I really thought I was going to die several times. My father even said that he thought he wouldn't have survived some of those things we've done. The big battles, the forest fire, I even had a gun close to my head. But as you would say, none of those things really matter now, and what matters is that we're here, and we have an adorable daughter and we're king and queen and soon the kingdom would be in peace. And that's a big moment to witness. There were a lot of wars and a lot of fighting, but I'm not sure if this is completely the end. Do you think the Forest Goddess is…"

He shushed her. She knew he didn't want to hear about the future or the past. Just the now.

"Come outside. The moon looks really grand right now, and you should see what the world looks like under this castle. It's really a thing to behold."

And they went outside, the night wind cooling them as they sat on the balcony, gazing at the very many white stars and the very many houses that were decked above and below them. The jewels in the sky, and the glittering lights on the ground. Everywhere around them were lights, including the large white sharp moon that was gazing at the both of them as they held hands, and they began to dance as the wind breathed through their gowns and the moon and starlight made their balcony a stage for all of the world to see.

He held her close to him, and planted a kiss on her lips, the stars and moon glittering through their quills and eyes, and on the dragonfly that flew and landed on the stone fence on their balcony, its crystal eyes gazing at the both of them.

And Sonic said, "You see that dragonfly, right there? I will love you and be with you as much as that dragonfly will be with its mate. Trust me Amy. And you shall heed my word for it and believe me, that you really will forever know of a dragonfly's heart. My heart, that is."

THE END