HELLOOOOOO

Holy freaking crap guys I'm sorry I've been gone so much! I was sick and dealing with life and summer and now my last year of school...

I missed writing SO much though I've been waiting for the perfect motivation to get me to write this chapter. (I actually had the first part of it written, it was the last part that took me awhile AND YOU'LL SEE WHY.)

As I keep saying I have LOTS planned for this story still, I'm sorry sorry SORRY it takes me so long to update it but I definitely will NOT leave you guys hanging! YOU'RE ALL AWESOME IF NO ONE HAS TOLD YOU TODAY.

Please Review! It brings me great joy to see people's reactions and to see if I'm on the right track.

OH and super duper extra amazing THANK YOU to all of you who have reviewed and followed and all that. It seriously brings a HUGE smile to my face to see all the feedback! I don't do this for any compensation, just for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers!

Enjoy my lovelies! Love you all!

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Sonic or any of the characters of the Sonic Team. Kiya is owned by Zelzainia and Lina

~ o - Chapter 14 - o ~

"What do I do, Kiya?" My chest deflated as I breathed around the lump of fear in my chest.

"I suppose we'll just tell Sonic that we had a breakthrough," Kiya said her tired expression deepened, "And keep up appearances until we figure out what to do."

She finished packing and looked up at me, her candlelit expression of pity engraved in my mind, "I'll cover for you for as long as I can."

Words couldn't express my gratitude. I swallowed hard and nodded, guilt weight heavy on my shoulders.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

What was I doing?

How had it come to this?

"Now wipe that expression off your face and act happy," Kiya said, taking hold of the handle to the sauna, forcing a content smile on her face, "We have one last chance."

Before I could question what she meant, she pushed open the sauna door. A refreshing wave of cool engulfed me and I was relieved to breathe again. The feeling of relief was short lived, the forceful smile I wore only made the empty gaping hole in my chest larger, and seeing Sonic's excitement as he moved out of the shadows only made my pain deeper.

He handed us each a towel, "Well…how did it go?" he asked eagerly.

Kiya thankfully spoke for me, "Fantastic, she's unlocked her mind and power connection."

I nodded with a limp smile, thankful the darkness was shielding the nuances of my facade. Not to mention hiding my sweat-clad face and matted hair.

"That's wonderful! Your exhibition should go over smoothly at the Winter Solstice festival, then," he said.

"Yes, she has clearly proven herself," Kiya said, her words coated with a thick artificial sweetness, "how will that procedure go again? I would like to know what to train her for."

Sonic noticeably hesitated, his eyes flipping between the two of us, he hesitated.

"I…I don't think I am supposed to tell you," he washed a hand over his face, obviously internally debating with himself. He sighed defeatedly, "but if I were able to tell you…I would say that the Council expects you to touch the emerald. Only the true Guardian reacts with the emerald and that would be enough proof for them to instate you."

I leapt at the chance, "Can I see it?"

"Only if you think you're ready. The Council would need to be there to watch you interact with the emerald, so they can see for themselves that you are the Guardian. They won't allow you to go alone."

I made a point to look at Kiya to confirm that this was our next endeavor.

I had to touch the emerald.

"Lady Amy is just eager to exhibit her powers after this breakthrough," Kiya said, "but she is still quite unstable, she needs adjustment time." Kiya put a deliberate hand on my shoulder, "Not to worry, you will see inside the Emerald Chamber after your exhibition."

She subtly emphasized 'Emerald Chamber' and I could clearly read what she meant.

We're breaking in there.

"Sorry to keep you up so late, your highness," I said, "Thank you for giving us this opportunity."

We bid each other goodnight and returned back to our quarters. My mind reeled as I prepared for sleep that night. Piecing a plan together, thinking about Sonic, thinking about the consequences of what I was planning to do. Would Sonic even think of me the same if it turned out I wasn't the Guardian? Maybe to him, I was more Guardian than I was Amy.

My heart sunk hard.

The voice from the ritual echoed from afar.

It's a trap

I didn't even know where to begin with that.

After a long shower and a shot of the sleeping potion, I slept soundly, away from the nightmares and turmoil that had become my life.

~ o - o ~

Knuckles' quarters in the Knight Barracks was nothing more than a room with a bed and a bathroom. Nothing special, but still better than where we once slept. Anything was better than a dirt floor.

The sun shone brightly through his window, it was noon now and he was preparing to start another round of training with the other Knights. He was suited up in full sparring armor, a sight I had never seen up close. The last time he wore armor was the Knighting Ceremony. And boy had he changed from then.

He had bulked up well, his shoulder width noticeably wider along with his larger biceps and thicker, more stable thighs. A picturesque warrior, even his eyes that were once joyous and childish had reserved to a sterner, trained gaze. Nonetheless he welcomed me with a hug and a running of questions, to which I replied he needed to sit down for all the things I was about to tell him.

Once I began, I couldn't stop. I explained LL killing the Weapon Master just before the raid and our falling out as a friendship, Scourge and I finding the crazy poem from the King of Aurora that mentioned something about the previous Guardian, the sleeping potion Alfonso gave me, how Kiya has been helping me with my training and covering for my lack of power, the prisoner from the raid that knows me by name that the Council won't let me see, a Lord from Nightfall suddenly interested in discussing an alliance, my growing affection towards Sonic, and, of course, the deadline of the Winter Solstice Ceremony and my plan to break into the Emerald Chamber.

"It's do or die, Knuckles. I need to know wether I can stay or not," I said.

Knuckled put his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face slowly with his hands as the news piled up on him.

"Dear Chaos, Amy," he breathed, "If that prisoner knows who you are, who's to say there's not an entire rebellion that knows who you are? If you leave, you may not be as safe as you think. The castle would hunt you. The Rebels would hunt you. I would have to hunt you," he stumbled distraughtly, "maybe you can stow away on a merchant vessel to Nightfall. You would be safer there."

The seriousness of the situation began to set in, "I don't know if I can do it by myself. What about you? Would I ever see you again?"

He was the only family I had ever known. My throat constricted with tears and I used my hand to cover my mouth from an escaping sob. Knuckles stood up and took me in his embrace.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay, kiddo. Whatever happens, I'll always be there for you. If you have to leave I'll keep tabs on you. After all this blows over we can get together, brother and sister."

My breaths came shaky. His embrace didn't feel the same, his breast plate dug into my cheek, he smelled of generic soap rather than his own tree-like scent.

So much has changed.

"If it comes to that, we will regroup and plan my escape, but for now I really need to get into that Emerald Chamber. I can't do it without you," I said.

"I'll do it," he said with conviction, stepping out of his embrace "I'll stand as your guard for tomorrow night and we will break in with Kiya."

"Great. And I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I need to talk to that prisoner."

"Can't you ask the Prince to take you?"

"He'd be going directly against the Council's orders. With the Council convinced I'm connected to the raid he wouldn't be able to get me in contact without raising their suspicions."

"Speaking of the Prince, Amy," he nervously scratched his head, "Of course I want you to be happy, but I think you need to watch yourself around him."

I studied him with a quizzical look, "What do you mean?"

"He's a prince looking to become a king. It's no mystery that he's in the market to look for a queen…or a princess more accurately."

My breath hitched, the truth setting in like a cold rock in my heart. In my mind I had been seeing Sonic, this amazing guy with compassion and wit and the face of a god. What I had been blatantly ignoring was the fact that he was the Prince of Solstice, looking to become a king. Looking to marry for the good of the kingdom. I was ignoring the fact that our lives were going in completely different directions. Ignoring the fact that our circumstances would never allow us to be together.

How could I have let my gaze get so narrow?

Knuckles began again, softly this time. His eyes trained on my pained expression, "It could just be…that he's playing with your emotions. Leading you on."

An unbidden wave of rage burst from me at the idea, "How could you think that? He's been nothing but honest a—and helpful and…he's shown me real affection. He wouldn't lie to me!"

Knuckles pursed his lips with a pitied expression, weighing wether or not to say his next words, "How can you be so sure? You haven't know him that long."

"There's nothing wrong in giving it a shot. I can sense a connection, I'm not stupid," my words cut through the air.

"This is the castle, Amy. There's always more going on than what you think."

I crossed my arms and surveyed him with distain, "What makes you so certain that Sonic is playing me?"

Knuckles huffed and ran an exasperated hand over his forehead, "I'm not certain. I'm putting the option in your head so you can be more cautious. Already you're walking on thin ice with this Guardian thing, the last thing you need is to get wrapped up in royal family politics."

I hated to admit it but he was right, I shouldn't have been getting myself caught up in something so dangerous. I needed to sort everything out before I could understand what was going through Sonic's mind.

"And stay away from Commander Scourge too," he stated.

I raised a quizzical brow at him. My heart fluttered in my chest at the thought of him but I remained quietly serious.

"What do you mean?"

Knuckles forced a laugh, "Ames, you cannot be that blind."

My ears perked up and a slight perplexed smile emerged on my lips.

He sighed defeatedly, "Have you seen the way he looks at you? When you're around he can't keep his eyes off you. He trains me for battle and he'll ask about you occasionally. Ask how you're doing. I'm sure you've noticed…stay away from them both. I say it as your brother and your best friend. I'm saving you a lot of heartbreak."

A heat of excitement swelled in me. Scourge was built beautifully like a warrior and he had a long history of battles and hardship out in the real world that had sculpted him into an alluring man in command. I hadn't been able to give him a chance.

Maybe I needed to reconsider where I put my heart.

I breathed away the jitters in my chest.

Dear Chaos, focus Amy! You need to sort this Guardian thing out first.

"I just want you to be aware," he said simply, picked up his helmet off the bed, "You're definitely going to end up pissing someone off."

"As usual," I said with a smirk.

He smiled, "Now back to our mission. I'll go on guard at midnight. You and Kiya will invade then."

My heart flipped in my chest.

Here we go.

One last shot.

~ o - o ~

With the night as our cover, Kiya and I weaved through the dimly lit back hallways of the castle. Not a single soul was in sight, just as she had predicted. Careening silently down the last flight of stairs, Kiya stood in the shadows as alert as ever, clutching her bag of necessities.

"Perfect timing," she whispered.

She gestured for me to follow her through the small door. I cringed as it creaked open, a cool breeze and grassy scent slipped through the gap of the door.

The outside.

The idea shook a part within me. I hadn't been allowed outside the castle since the rebel incident. The grass and trees had called to me from my balcony, like a cry from a detached lover. Kiya led the way as we slipped through the space just wide enough to accommodate our breathless bodies.

I bit back a shiver as I was enveloped in the moonlight. With winter just setting in the nights had a new edge. To ensure our agility we decided against multiple layers to combat the cold. And judging by the way my blood was roaring, I would soon lose any ability to perceive the cold.

The bushes around the circumference of the castle were colder than the open air. The scent of soil was strong, and the lack of twigs and branches made it the perfect place to crouch and run without detection. We ran for so long my back and legs ached, but we didn't dare stop. The protection of the castle had been upped since the raid, and from what Kiya has told me the archers in the towers would shoot anything that stirred. If I were caught trying to break in, or even found out on the lawns unsupervised, I could kiss my freedom goodbye.

Kiya stopped so quick I nearly ran into her. Her tired breaths came out in puffs of white. She waited silently, staring out across the silvery moonlit lawn.

My impatience got the best of me. We didn't have all night to sneak in, we had to get in and out before the next rotation of guards when Knuckles would be replaced.

Before anyone noticed that the guard at her door was actually knocked out and not just sleeping.

"Where is it?" I harshly whispered to Kiya.

She leaned toward me, pointing across the lawn to a statue made of white marble. Glowing in the moonlight was a statue of an armed warrior adorned in royal embellishments. A young hedgehog, muscles carved definitively, his hands resting on the hilt of a sword, it's point resting at the tall thick base of the statue.

"That's King Jules. After destroying the previous Guardian and ending the War of Faiths, they made a statue to commemorate him, building the Chamber of the Emerald beneath him for him to eternally guard in place of the Guardian. Only royals know the emerald is underneath it. The only way to access it is to press both the sun and the emerald emblem on the base of the statue at the same time. They're on opposite sides so you'll need my help," she explained, sternly gazing out across the vacant lawn.

I couldn't tell if I was shaking from the cold or from nerves, "Okay let's do it."

She looked at me, "The door will open in the front of the statue. Run in. I'll be waiting here when you're done. You have less than 15 min and if something happens I can't come in after you."

I nodded, "I'm ready."

She pushed aside the damp bushes, taking one last look at the top of the castle wall to see if anyone was guarding.

"Go!" She harshly whispered.

I sprinted hard across the lawn, feeling instantly vulnerable as the stark moonlight graced my skin truly exposing me to the outside world. It seemed at any moment an arrow would come flying out of nowhere and nail me in the back. I reached the statue, grasping onto the edge of the cold rock to help me stop on the slick grass. The emerald emblem was etched into the rock face just as she said. I pressed it as hard as I could and it slightly gave way. The base gave a low rumble from within. Kiya pressed hers in and the rumbling continued, the sound of rock grinding against ground alerted me to the front of the statue where a dark cavern had appeared to reveal a hollow base and stairs descending downward.

"Good luck," Kiya whispered.

She ran back to the shade of the bushes. I took a deep breath and quickly ducked into the dark cavern.

It smelled of mold and musty wet soil, the ceiling was covered in plant roots that dripped onto the stone stairs in gentle pitter-patters. I carefully descended using the light of the open door as my guide for as long as I could. The ceiling began to rise again so I could stand fully upright. A large sturdy looking wooden door ended the stairway.

The stone door behind me ground shut, leaving me in the intense darkness. A swell of fear overcame me as I horrifyingly realized I had no idea how I would get out. I had to stay calm, focusing on my breathing like Kiya had taught me. I had to keep going, I couldn't let my fear get the best of me.

I am smart, I'll find a way out.

Fumbling for the latch on the wooden door, I tugged it open. With a moan the door opened to silver moonlight.

The room was the size of a regular ballroom with a ceiling high enough to meet ground level. From the ceiling, bars of silver moonlight cascaded through the plant roots to illuminate a carefully crafted stone floor. The architecture was reminiscent of an old church, now untreated and overrun with vegetation. The wooden beams holding up the ceiling dark and eroded from age. But by far the most mesmerizing feature was the green emerald perched majestically atop the articulate stone pedestal.

Calming water droplets beckoned me forward to the illuminated jewel. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, encapsulated by the beauty and legend that made it so precious. Before I knew it, I had ascended the steps and was standing before the sacred item.

My senses were ablaze, drinking the cool air with such clarity it could only be supplemented by what emanated before me. With gentle fingers I palpated the aura, staring into the mirrored depths of the jewel.

For my entirety here at the castle I had searched for answers, and now…

With the gracefulness of picking up a fragile bird, I took the emerald from it's perch. The emerald's angular sides were cold on my hand, I enclosed my fingers around it.

I waited.

With a tighter grip, I focused on the center of the emerald. My hand now shaking as tears stung my eyes.

I gripped the emerald with two hands.

A scream died in my throat and my knees became weak as all my worst nightmares were confirmed. I was lightheaded, the room began to spin.

I had to run.

I had to abandon everything.

I was nothing.

"By the gods,"

I nearly stumbled off the steps at the breathless voice, whipping around with blurry eyes to search the room.

From the dark side of the room a dark figure stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight. Barely recognizable in common clothing and a brown hoodie, High Lord Alfonso was an unreal sight to behold. A look of ghostly death upon his face, his uneven colored eyes were widened and fixated upon me, his jaw dropped.

My entire world crumbled at the sight of him.

He was only able to utter two words through a shaken breath.

"You…betrayed us."

~ o ~

Oh crap OH FREAKING CRAP

Now it's for real! Amy is NOT THE GUARDIAN. -sirens go off- And she's been CAUGHT. -more sirens and explosions-

WHAT THE HECK IS SHE GONNA DO? SHE'S PROBABLY GONNA DIE BUT MAYBE NOT I DON'T KNOW I'M NOT THE AUTHOR OR ANYTHING ._.

I'll update as quickly as possible!

Blitzie is out! PEACE