Chapter Text
“But what sweet, noble tears… you almost make me feel sorry for you.”
Lancelot’s eyes lingered on Sonic with a hint of contempt.
“Why are you doing this to me? Was I cruel to you? Did I ever hurt you? Did I not make you feel loved enough?” Sonic’s trembling, weakened hand clutched at Lancelot’s.
“You still don’t get it? I only used you. I needed your sword, a clear path into the kingdom, and your trust. That’s why I made you fall in love with me.”
“No… you’re not well,” Sonic shook his head. “I know who you are. You’re kind, noble, loyal, attentive, faithful to your duty…” His tears blurred his vision. “You would never want to hurt me…”
“How ironic,” Lancelot let out a dry laugh. “Weren’t you the one who said that the moment you met the beast, you would kill it?” Sonic froze as the memory hit him. “Oh, well then, kill me. Go on. Pierce my heart.”
Lancelot’s eyes locked on the prince with a mix of determination and bitterness, as if resentment had been festering in his chest for years. Sonic, in contrast, was simply shattered, wounded, betrayed. Yet in his pain there was also self-loathing. He remembered every time he had sworn before Lance to slay the beast, destroy it, proclaim his hatred and fear of it. All those awful words he had hurled at Lancelot over time, now he wished he could erase every single one.
How could he have spoken such vile things about Lancelot? Promised to exterminate him completely, when his sweet dark knight had done nothing but love and protect him?
That was why Lance had felt fear in his presence. He had known he was near his enemy… and yet had still shown affection and loyalty to that enemy.
Sonic had failed once again and this time, he had failed the man he loved.
“Lance…”
“Shadow,” Lance growled.
“Shads…” Sonic tried to step closer, as far as his trembling legs would let him. “I don’t deserve you. I never have. But I’m sure of one thing, every single act of love you showed me was real, because your love for me was real. You’re hurt, I know that, but I also know you’d never choose to harm anyone.” Sonic’s eyes glistened as he looked at Lancelot with love, denial, and guilt all at once.
“You’re a fool. You think everything can be fixed with a single, hypocritical display of remorse.” His gaze turned lethal. “You’re trying to use the feelings you think I still have to bring me to heel… but you’re about to find out how costly your feigned innocence truly is.” The hand holding Excalibur rose toward Sonic. “I’ve come to collect what I’m owed.”
And with one swift strike, Lancelot brought the blade down with all his strength.
Sonic felt his soul leave him in a breath, if not for his father’s sharp reflexes. The king grabbed the prince by the hood and yanked him back hard, pulling him out of reach and saving him from being skewered.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Arthur?!” The king’s voice was both scolding and fearful. “You’ve never been slow to dodge an attack before!”
Sonic’s breathing was fast and frantic, his heart pounding, his mind overstimulated.
“He… he did it,” he gasped for air. “Lance tried to kill me…” His tears blurred his sight again.
“Of course he tried to kill you! He’s the beast. Son, please, stop wasting time!”
The king stepped between Sonic and Lance, drawing his sword at once, ready to strike if needed. The royal guards flanking the family in the stands closed in at his sides, prepared for battle.
“Forget about me, get the Rose family out of here.” The king cast a glance at Sonic, seeing how incapable he was of fighting back. “Take the prince with them as well.”
“No!” Sonic snapped back to alertness, though still unsteady. “Let me fight. He’s after me. It’s my duty to defend the kingdom.”
“Look at yourself, Arthur!” his father raised his voice. “You’re shaking like a newborn fawn crying for its mother. What kind of fight do you think you can give? At this rate, you’ll only get in my way and he’ll kill you.”
“Arthur, come with me!” Amy pleaded from behind the guards’ protection.
“No…” Sonic forced himself off the ground. Against his body’s weakness, he managed to steady himself. “This is my curse. I’ve failed in everything, failed everyone. The least I can do is face my death.”
“What a brave little spectacle!” Lancelot let out a cynical laugh. “I’m almost moved by how you all protect each other, like one big group of cockroaches.”
“You won’t find it so amusing when I drive my sword through your throat.”
The king was slipping into battle mode, something that terrified Sonic, because he knew his father never left an enemy alive.
Amy and her parents were immediately escorted out of the stands. Around the arena, the remaining knights began trying to evacuate the panicked crowd. It was like herding a massive, frenzied tide of people desperate to escape. The king’s soldiers struggled to protect a crowd that far outnumbered them, while another detachment raced toward the royal box to guard the king and prince.
But the chaos made everything harder: people running wild, horses breaking free from their stables, and the weather turning ominous.
And then, as if the situation weren’t dire enough, the sky growled over the villagers’ heads like a warning of impending doom. Multiple bolts of lightning struck the vegetation surrounding the kingdom, setting the trees ablaze and forming a fiery ring around Camelot.
No one could escape the kingdom.
“I told you misfortune would fall upon Camelot.” Lancelot glanced around, admiring his own disaster, drinking in the sight of hundreds of people panicking for his delight. “And so everyone here will suffer the same punishment.”
“Release my people!” The king’s voice still carried that commanding tone of his, as if he truly believed Lancelot would obey. “This is between you and me. Don’t punish the innocent.”
“Innocent?” His voice dripped with outrage. “Now you want to talk about innocence? How curious. How hypocritical. Do you remember what you did to the young witch who helped your son be born? You swore her a quiet life, a life free of persecution for her gifts. She helped you… and you killed her.”
“Dad, what is he talking about Lan… Shadow?” Sonic’s confusion deepened. He’d heard this before.
“Oh, of course. Your father never told you the truth.” Lancelot smiled with malice, like someone savoring the reveal of a long-kept secret. “The witch didn’t kill your mother, prince. Your father knew there was a powerful woman hidden within the kingdom, because in Camelot, magic is punishable by death. He hunted her down desperately, not wanting his wife to fail to produce an heir. He begged for her help and promised her absolution for her ‘crimes’ if she ensured your birth. And she did. You were born. But your mother had made a superhuman effort to bring you into this world, and unfortunately, death had already laid its sweet hands upon her. There was no power on earth that could have stopped it. And that was the perfect excuse for the king to break his promise and kill the witch, because he fears what he doesn’t understand. Magic is something he cannot control, and that is why he feared it and decided to erase it from his kingdom.”
Sonic was speechless. So many revelations were hitting him so fast he felt his sanity slipping away: the beast, Lancelot, the curse, and now his father.
Lancelot had been right. His father had lied to him, done things unworthy of a good king, unworthy of a good father.
“Dad…” He was simply exhausted now, worn down by one emotional blow after another. “Tell me the truth. Did you betray and kill that woman?”
“Are you really going to ask stupid questions right now, Arthur?!”
“Tell me the damn truth! Just once in your life, have the courage to treat me with a shred of respect!”
His father exhaled with exasperation, as if Sonic’s very presence could only disappoint him further. “Yes. I killed her. She was a danger, Arthur. Deceiving her was the only way to finally trap her. Having her help with your birth would atone for her sins.”
“Sins?!” Sonic’s throat tightened, not from sorrow but from pure rage. “What the hell are you talking about? She was born with those gifts! She wasn’t a danger, she was just different!”
“She was a threat. Powers like that are dangerous. She could have endangered the monarchy if she chose to. That’s why I did it. And that’s what you’ve always lacked, the courage to do your duty.”
“Is that why there’s no magic in Camelot?! You exterminated them all!”
“It was for the greater good!”
“No!” Sonic was done, done living under his father’s yoke, done watching him trample everyone who defied him, done never being enough to please him. More than anything, he was done watching his father reject not just him but an entire nation, marginalizing those who didn’t fit his ideals, exiling them to misery in the poor districts where so many of Sonic’s friends barely scraped by, while his father handed out wealth and dignity to a chosen few who didn’t deserve it. “It’s your damn fault so much of this nation hates us, because you treat everyone like garbage from your filthy, ignorant privilege! And what’s happening right now is the result of your arrogance and cynicism!”
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that!”
“You lied to me. You manipulated me. And even worse, because of you, the kingdom and I will die at the hands of a disaster born from the hatred your actions created. But you’re so narrow-minded you can’t even see it!”
“You’re taking the enemy’s side?!”
"There isn’t even a side to take, it's just me trying to deal with the mess you created!" Sonic’s shouts were desperate and exhausted, as if he were carrying years of pent-up frustration within his body.
"I wish it had been you who died instead of your mother. At least she would’ve given me a more competent son."
Those words shattered Sonic. He had spent so many years yearning for his father’s approval, trying to prove he was capable, that he could be a good king, that one day his father might care about those he had abandoned, the ones he never accepted. But now, Sonic finally understood that he would never change his father. The man was what he was, and Sonic could never meet his expectations without betraying himself.
He knew that being who he was and having the heart of a hero, wasn’t wrong. It was right. But still, his father’s words hurt. He couldn’t help it.
This time, though, he wouldn’t back down. He would defend himself and the ones he cared about. If his mother were alive, she’d be proud of him.
With a trembling hand, Sonic wiped his tears and fought to hold back his sobs. He wouldn’t give his father the satisfaction of seeing that he still had power over him.
"I don’t care if you don’t love me," Sonic said, swallowing hard. "But if you don’t take back what you’ve done, we’re all going to die."
"A king never goes back on his word. I didn’t win my battles by being some soft coward, and I’ll prove who makes the law in this kingdom."
The king turned his back to Sonic, walking forward with his sword in hand, his stance brimming with arrogance and the murderous conviction of a man who believed he could defeat anything. He was the King of Camelot, after all. In his mind, he was never wrong. He would never be a coward.
"You’ll never learn your lesson, will you?" Lancelot said calmly, watching as the king advanced, ready to strike him down.
"I don’t negotiate with monsters."
"So be it."
The king charged forward, swinging his sword downward with all his strength. But Lancelot caught the blow mid-strike with Excalibur, effortlessly.
The monarch staggered back, then lunged again. Though he was twice Lancelot’s size, the dark knight was faster, more agile, easily deflecting his attacks and redirecting his power. The king made the fatal mistake of trusting brute force over strategy, and Lancelot was no ordinary warrior. With each counterattack, the dark hedgehog gained ground, forcing the king to retreat, able only to block and no longer strike back with precision.
Lance attacked from above, slashing the king’s arm, then spread his massive wings and beat them with force, unleashing a gust of wind that sent the old hedgehog crashing to the ground. Before he could recover, Lancelot dove toward him, sword aimed for his heart. The monarch barely managed to block the blow.
"Is that all you’ve got?" Lancelot taunted, pressing his blade against the king’s, his strength overpowering him. The old hedgehog was pinned beneath the dark knight’s weight, completely cornered.
"The fight’s not over until one of us is dead," the king wheezed. "And I won’t be the one dying today."
With a sudden move, he threw Excalibur backward, forcing Lancelot to lose balance for just a moment, long enough for the king to drive his sword deep into the knight’s side.
"Lance!" Sonic felt his soul leave his body.
Lancelot let out a guttural cry, the sound of a wounded beast, staggering back and collapsing to one side. He dropped his sword, clutching the wound with his hands.
The king seized the opening, rising to his feet with renewed rage. He charged, both hands gripping his sword, aiming straight for Lancelot’s neck, but the knight was faster. He caught the blade with one hand and kicked the king in the stomach, sending him flying several meters back.
Luckily for the dark beast, his wings were still intact. With a few hurried beats, he lifted himself into the stormy sky, trying to gain a moment to recover.
But the king wasn’t finished with him.
With the deadly precision of a man forged in war, the monarch, still on the ground, grabbed his sword and hurled it like a dagger. His aim was flawless. The blade pierced the base of Lancelot’s right wing, forcing him into a spiral. He crashed down hard, tumbling across the audience seats before his battered body slammed into the arena floor.
"Lancelot!" Sonic felt the impulse to run and descend to where Lance’s body lay motionless, but his father yanked him back by the arm.
"You side with my enemy?!" the king roared, glaring at his son in fury.
"He’s not an enemy, he’s my knight!"
"He’s the beast that came to kill you!"
"And you’re the beast who slaughtered hundreds of sorcerers and witches! And yet, you’re still my father..." Sonic’s eyes burned with both pain and anger.
His father stared at him in silence for a few seconds before speaking, his voice cold. "I should’ve known you’d never be man enough to be a worthy king, to do what must be done."
The king rose to his feet, clenched his fist, and struck Sonic hard across the face, knocking him to the ground and leaving him dazed.
"I’ll deal with you later."
With heavy, labored steps and pain radiating through every bone in his body, the king made his way down the arena stands, leaving Sonic writhing in agony, struggling to clear his blurred vision. From above, it looked as though Lance’s body hadn’t moved since his fall, and the monarch assumed the beast had died on impact, but he needed to be sure.
It wasn’t hard to descend, since Lance’s fall had left a trail of destruction behind him, splintered wooden beams and a jagged path leading straight to the arena floor.
The closer Sonic’s father got, the stronger the chill that crawled up his quills. He didn’t know if it was because of the apocalyptic scene, the storm, the distant flames or the sight of those enormous black wings twisted and broken on the ground, a river of blood spreading from the wounded one. Whatever the reason, to him, Lance was as revolting as a creature born from shadow itself.
"Disgusting," the king muttered, kicking Lance’s body, unwilling to touch it with his hands, just to make sure it didn’t move.
Once he confirmed there was no reaction, he placed a boot firmly on the knight’s back to hold him down and gripped the sword impaled in Lance’s wing, pulling hard to free it.
A thick, wet gurgle echoed as the king finally retrieved his weapon, now drenched in the beast’s blood, dark and viscous, gleaming against his black quills and the nightmarish silhouette before him.
With eyes full of disdain and a weary arrogance, the old monarch gazed down, his foot planted dominantly on Lancelot’s body. The dark knight now looked like nothing more than prey, his prize, the proof of his power and glory. No one could rise above the King of Camelot, not the fiercest beast nor the strongest magic.
"No one has ever defeated the King of Camelot," he said, gripping his bloodstained sword with both hands and lowering it toward Lance’s neck. "And just to make sure your dark figure never flies across my sky again like some carrion crow..." He raised the sword high above his head, gathering his strength for the final blow.
And the blade came down, sharp, swift, merciless.
The beast took the hit.
But in a flash, Lancelot turned his head, jaws snapping open to reveal gleaming fangs. Though they resembled those of any ordinary hedgehog, they were sharper, deadlier. His powerful jaws clamped down on the sword, stopping it mid-swing, then crushed the blade in two as if it were a cheap trinket. It was like watching a wolf fight for its life, driven purely by instinct.
"You were pretending, you damn creature!" the king gasped, his face twisting in terror. His weapon was broken, his body battered, his lungs burning, he knew, deep down, there was no way he could win this time.
"Your arrogance and pride will be your downfall," Lancelot growled, rising to his feet. The sound of bones and muscles snapping back into place filled the air, as if he were merely stretching after a long rest. "I knew the idea of victory would lure you in, that you’d lower your guard. That’s your greatest flaw, old man. You underestimate your enemies."
With a fierce snarl, Lance lunged forward, jaws wide, sinking his teeth deep into the king’s neck. He bit down with precision, crushing the jugular like a beast that had finally caught its prey and wouldn’t waste another second.
Then, with a brutal twist, he tore through flesh and hurled the monarch’s lifeless body against a wooden wall. The king hit the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
That stormy afternoon, the ruler of Camelot met his end, slain in battle by the beast.
Halfway down the trail of destruction in the arena stood Sonic, eyes wide, heart pounding, watching the exact moment Lance took his father’s life.
“What… did you do?” Sonic’s voice was barely audible.
“I saved Camelot from a heartless tyrant. I did this miserable place a favor.” Lance’s words came out flat, empty.
“So you really… do want to kill me?” Tears once again blurred the prince’s vision.
“Are you deaf?” Lancelot’s expression showed clear irritation. “I told you I’m the beast that would rip out your heart. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
Sonic choked back a sob, straightened his posture, and drew in a deep breath; this time he knew he’d have to fight for his life.
Unexpectedly, he bolted in the opposite direction, as if his life depended on it.
Lancelot was about to make a joke about Sonic’s cowardice, but then he understood immediately: Sonic wasn’t running away. He was going for Excalibur.
With a powerful thrust of his wings, the dark knight shot forward, trying to reach the spot where the sword had fallen before Sonic could. But he hadn’t counted on the prince’s incredible speed.
By mere seconds, Sonic reached the blade first. He snatched it from the ground and swung an attack behind him, striking Lance’s armor and sending him crashing sideways into wooden structures, debris collapsing over him.
“Lance, please!” Sonic’s breathing was ragged, his stance trembling. “I know you don’t really want to kill me, you’d never hurt me. I know you better than anyone. The kind of kindness you have could never be faked!”
After a moment, Lance rose from the wreckage with a growl of anger, trying to regain his footing.
“If you’re doing this because of the curse, just tell me!” A few tears escaped Sonic’s eyes. “Please, just this once… trust me.”
Lance said nothing. Instead, he lunged at Sonic, claws outstretched, aiming to sink them into him. Sonic took the hit head-on, slammed to the ground with the dark knight on top of him, struggling to choke him with his own sword. Excalibur, instead of acting as a shield, now felt like nothing more than a strip of iron threatening to strangle him.
But for a moment, Sonic saw it, the look in Lancelot’s eyes softened, a faint glimmer of concern shining there. His push weakened. His gaze almost seemed to say, Do it now!
Confused but determined, Sonic seized the moment of weakness and kicked Lancelot in the stomach, sending him flying back and giving himself room to scramble to his feet.
“Lance, I know you’re in there! I don’t know what’s happening, but I saw you, you really saw me!” Sonic panted, but a flicker of hope had sparked in his heart.
Lancelot tried to charge again, but immediately, as if something had short-circuited inside him, he collapsed to his knees halfway, clutching his head as if in agony. His groans of pain made Sonic’s heart lurch.
“Lance!” The prince, forgetting entirely about his battle stance, ran toward the knight.
“Stay back! Don’t come any closer!” With a single shout, Lancelot stopped Sonic in his tracks, his face twisted in pain.
“What’s happening to you?!”
“She…” he exhaled with difficulty. “She’s trying to kill you. She was supposed to spare you, but she hasn’t.”
“Who are you talking about?” Sonic crept closer, slowly.
“My mother… my mother is the witch your father killed.”
The young hedgehog froze. It all made sense now. That was why Lancelot had become Shadow, the beast of the curse, born of a young witch’s hatred.
“You’re being a bad boy, Lancelot.” Lance’s voice turned venomous and hostile again, as if his body were caught in a torturous battle between two souls fighting for control.
“Agh!” Lance writhed on the ground again. “Sonic, listen.” He regained control of himself for a moment, but not for long. “She has control over my body. I thought if I died, she wouldn’t be able to possess me anymore, but if that happens, it’ll only hand my body to my mother completely. So I need you to destroy me.”
“Destroy you?! What are you talking about?”
“Burn me, crush me, blow me apart, anything! But don’t leave a single piece of my body, or she’ll use it to kill you.”
“Are you insane?! I’m not going to kill you, I’ll find a way to save you!” Sonic’s heart pounded desperately; the mere thought of losing Lancelot in such a visceral way terrified him.
“Ha! I told you, Lance, the prince would never be able to complete his mission. His useless love for you will be the very thing that kills him.” His mother’s voice returned, spilling out through Lance’s body.
“Sonic, please!” Lance appeared again, as if in a sick, twisted game of split personalities. “She wants to kill you! I’m begging you…” Tears, long held back, began to spill from his eyes. “Don’t do this to me, don’t torture me this way. If my hands take your life, I’ll lose my mind from the pain… You’re the only thing in this world that matters to me… You’ve always been my purpose.”
“Have you thought about what it would do to me if I had to kill you? I’m your king now, my duty is to protect you and the whole nation. My life is the last thing I care about. I’ve already lost my mother and my father… I refuse to let you go. I will never let you go.”
“Soni…!” His body twisted violently again.
“Enough!” With effort, his mother regained control of the body, rising to her feet once more. “This play has dragged on long enough. I didn’t even take this long to kill your father.”
“Give me Lancelot back, now!” Sonic’s hands gripped Excalibur firmly, ready to fight.
“Please, don’t pretend you’ll fight with real strength. You and I both know you’re incapable of killing Lancelot,” she sneered. “Besides, I don’t plan on giving this body back until the debt owed to me is paid.”
Without warning, Lancelot spread his wings, propelling himself forward at full speed, slamming into Sonic’s chest and sending him crashing straight through a wall. Sonic tried get up, but Lance flew high and landed on top of him, punching him in the stomach so hard it knocked the air from his lungs and likely cracked a rib.
Lance looked at Sonic with satisfaction, until his own body suddenly moved on its own, hurtling at full speed toward one of the arena’s walls and slamming into it.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to kill us!” A weak cough made him spit out flecks of blood as he tried to stand.
“I won't let you kill him!” Lancelot was back in control of his body. “If Sonic can’t destroy me, then I’ll do it myself, even if it tears me apart.”
The knight staggered to his feet, his skull throbbing with a splitting headache, a clear sign his mother was trying to take over again. But he refused to let her win; he would take any advantage he could. He spread his wings again, one visibly damaged, shredded by blows and cuts, the other unable to move freely because of pain and blood loss, yet still, he could fly.
When Sonic regained his breath and his senses, he looked from a distance and saw Lancelot twisting and crashing into objects again and again, pausing only to scream at nothing, surely arguing with his mother. He didn’t understand exactly what he was seeing, until finally, it hit him.
Lancelot was trying to kill himself, and destroy his body in the process.
“Lancelot, please stop!” Sonic’s cry tore from his throat like a plea of pure anguish. He couldn’t stand seeing the man he loved torturing himself like that. Lancelot had always been mistreated, beaten, and humiliated for as long as he could remember. He’d almost never known kindness, love, warmth. He’d always been alone, at the mercy of everything, with no home in the darkness, believing he wasn’t worthy of love, compassion, or care. His world had taught him he had no value if he had nothing to offer.
But he was the one Sonic loved most in the world, the most precious thing in his life. If only he could see himself the way Sonic saw him, he would understand.
“There you are, my dear hedgehog!” Lance’s gaze was murderous now, clearly his mother had control of the body again. With all the speed his battered form would allow, he lunged, jaws open, ready to tear Sonic’s face apart in one bite.
Sonic raised the sword to block Lance’s bite, praying he wouldn’t hurt him by accident, while the knight, desperate to cause injury, extended his claws and slashed the prince’s face, forcing him to stagger back and turn his head aside.
Lancelot took a step back, holding his head with one hand, struggling to stay upright. “Sonic, stop this!” Tears threatened to spill from his eyes again. “I’m trying to save your life, I don’t want to hurt you anymore. Seeing you like this is killing me!”
“I’m trying to save your life too, you idiot!” Sonic turned to face him, one hand covering the scratches on his face. “Do you think it’s fun watching you try to kill yourself?! I don’t want my fiancé to die!”
“Your… what?” Those words seemed to stun Lance for a second, as if suddenly his wounds didn’t hurt anymore.
“I…” Sonic tried to breathe despite the pain. “I was going to propose to you after the tournament. It was going to be my last attempt to stay by your side, because I thought you were afraid my feelings weren’t reliable enough. If you rejected me, I would have let you go forever. But now… now I understand why you kept rejecting me.”
“You doubted that I believed your feelings were real?”
“Well, you turned me down so many times I started to believe you didn’t even trust me.”
“I would never doubt your word, my lord… not for a moment. In fact, I’ve always believed I was the one unworthy of your love.”
“That’s why you have no idea how much you hurt me, Lance.” His voice was now a tortured whisper. “You’re one of the most precious people in my life. I love you so much that watching you hurt yourself like this is what will truly kill me.” With gentle steps, Sonic began moving closer to Lancelot.
“You don’t understand. I betrayed you, I hid things from you, I manipulated you and not only did I nearly destroy the entire kingdom, I killed your father. After everything I’ve done to you, and yet you’ve never once hurt me.” Tears streamed freely down his face now. “I would have endured your hatred, your blows, your curses, I would have accepted it because I deserved it. But despite it all, you still smile at me.”
The knight’s legs began to tremble until he finally collapsed to the floor, his face, covered in wounds, bruises and blood, radiating a pain and regret that called out to Sonic’s heart.
And at last, what Lancelot had always dreamed of, always longed for, happened: in the middle of his attacks of deep sorrow and fear, Sonic was there to hold him. Someone was finally not leaving him like a small child alone in the dark. Yet every other time, he had never been able to ask Sonic for help, always trying to protect him from the truth. But this time, nothing held him back.
The prince knelt and gathered Lancelot in his arms, careful not to hurt him, finally able to hold him close, to let him feel for just a moment that he was safe, as if Sonic truly had control of the situation, even if it was only a fleeting illusion.
“Please, don’t hurt yourself anymore.” Sonic’s words were soft against Lance’s ear. “My happiness, my fortune depends on your well-being. I told you my heart was yours, if I have to tear it from my chest and give it to you, I will. But please… never believe you are unworthy of love, because you hold the heart of a king in your hands… my love.”
Sonic held Lancelot for a few seconds longer before finally breaking the embrace, painfully, looking into his beloved knight’s eyes and caressing his cheek.
“Never forget that my body, my heart, and my soul will always be with you, that you mean more to me than all the gold and land of this nation. And promise me you’ll take care of yourself the way I always have.”
“Sonic, you’re scaring me.” The dark hedgehog’s eyes began to search the prince’s desperately, as though something wasn’t right, as though something terrible was about to happen.
With the sweetness that had always defined him, Sonic cupped Lancelot’s face in his hands and kissed him softly, as if afraid he might break something fragile in the knight. For a few moments, Lancelot’s body relaxed; his stance melted, and he allowed himself to feel Sonic again.
When the kiss ended, the prince looked at Lancelot with tenderness, wiped away his tears, and said softly, “Now you can take control.”
Immediately, Lancelot’s mother was back, staring at Sonic with surprise.
“I never thought you’d do that to Lancelot, relax him so much he’d forget to fight for control of his body. What is it you want?”
Both of them brushed the dust from their clothes and stood up.
“What will it take for you to let Lancelot live and disappear forever?” There was no doubt in his voice.
“Oh, that’s simple. The prophecy just has to be fulfilled, you have to die.”
“And is it necessary for you to literally rip my heart out?”
“No, I think piercing it with a sword would be enough. After all, from the moment you were born, I claimed your life and swore you would die by my beast.”
“Then I think I can give you that.” Sonic glanced for a moment at Excalibur. “I offer my life and my heart in exchange for Lancelot’s freedom. Is that possible?”
“Well, well.” Lancelot’s mother laughed cynically. “Who would have thought you’d end up loving my pup so much. But fine, that works in my favor anyway, so I’ll agree. That would fulfill the curse, which means you’d both be free of me and I could disappear in peace, like it should’ve been all along.”
“I only have one condition.” His gaze was firm.
“You nobles are always so greedy.” Lancelot’s mother sneered. “Go on, say it.”
“I’ll be the one to pierce my own heart with the sword.”
“May I ask why?”
“If Lance finds out it was his hands that killed me, I’m sure he’d never be able to live with it. I want him to have a peaceful, happy life, free of guilt and chains.”
The woman who inhabited Lancelot’s body thought for a few minutes before finally replying, “Alright, do as you wish. Either way, I’ll get what I want.”
Sonic took a deep breath and looked around at what was left of Camelot. The gentle drizzle that still lingered tried to ease the flames surrounding the kingdom, while in the distance he could hear the cries of villagers being aided by the knights, doing their best to help after the storm had unleashed all its fury upon them.
The beloved land his mother, the queen, had worked so hard to nurture and make flourish… At least now he knew he would be able to put an end to this disaster. But most importantly, he would save Lancelot and his friends from danger.
At last, he had become a worthy king. It was a shame he’d only managed to be one for a few hours.
He moved forward with slow, steady steps, standing tall. His eyes softened as he noticed the necklace Lancelot had given him still hanging around his neck, close to his heart, as if even in his darkest hour, his beloved knight remained with him.
He inhaled deeply, calmly, closing his eyes as he took the sword with both hands and placed it before him, right by his heart.
With certainty, without hesitation, he thrust it through his chest. At first, it was difficult, he hadn’t expected his initial strength to be insufficient to pierce through his muscles. The pain grew suffocating, so using what little strength remained, he pushed again, this time driving the blade all the way through. His body convulsed; his eyes shut tightly as the full weight of the wound struck him, and a cough forced him to spit blood onto the ground.
Sonic fell to his knees, feeling his heart struggle to pump blood through his body while the iron blade wreaked havoc within him.
“You have honored your word, new King of Camelot. Now it is time for me to honor mine.” The woman’s soul looked upon Sonic one last time, as if something she had long awaited had finally come to pass before her eyes. At last, a golden aura burst from Lancelot’s body, rising toward the heavens and scattering into countless shimmering fragments of light.
The curse had been broken.
Lancelot staggered at first, trying to adjust to having full control of his body again, struggling to focus his sight.
“Welcome back, sleeping beauty,” Sonic’s voice said softly, grounding him completely.
“Sonic…?” Lance lifted his gaze toward where Sonic stood and what he saw shattered him. “Sonic!”
The knight rushed forward in desperation to catch the prince in his arms. Sonic let himself fall, giving in to the pain and weakness threatening to pull him into sleep, but he knew that once he closed his eyes, it would be the end. Lancelot held the young king’s body, watching in horror as the sword pierced through his chest, blood flowing uncontrollably down his form.
He was desperate, terrified, willing to do anything to save Sonic, but with all the pain in his heart, he knew there was nothing left to do.
“Easy, my love… easy… I’ll fix this. I just need to stop the bleeding and tell my mother to help you, she’ll surely…”
“She’s gone, Lance… your mother is gone.” Sonic struggled to speak, his voice barely audible. “I offered my life to fulfill the prophecy, in exchange for yours and for the kingdom’s forgiveness. And the prophecy was fulfilled… You’re free now, my beloved knight.” Even then, Sonic offered Lancelot a gentle smile.
“No, no, no! There must be a way to fix this! You’ll be fine! Please, don’t go, don’t leave me!”
Lance’s voice broke into a desperate plea as tears streamed down his face and his hands trembled, feeling Sonic’s fragile body grow weaker.
“Trust me… I’ll never leave you.”
And Sonic’s eyes closed peacefully.
“Sonic?” Lancelot froze, searching for any sign of life. “Arthur?” No response. “You said you’d propose to me, didn’t you? You can’t go without keeping your promise!”
It was useless. Sonic could no longer hear him.
“You said you’d marry me!” Lancelot pulled Sonic’s body against his chest, a trembling mess of tears and grief. “You promised… you promised… please, my love, come back… I swear I’ll never reject you again… just don’t leave me.”
At that moment, the drizzle faded away, as if the heavens had decided to honor Lancelot’s pain, to accompany him instead with the calm that comes only after the storm has finally passed.
That was the day when the roses, once blooming in abundance and beauty across the kingdom of Camelot, became forever stained with the vivid red of their beloved young king’s blood.
