After being on the run for weeks, the boys found it hard to fully relax and get good sleep that night.

Shadow sat curled up on the bed, looking at the painting in his room.

It was of a battle, knights in armor fighting against black-armored soldiers, sparks flying from their blades.

But what caught his attention was in the background...a little hedgehog stood behind the bushes. Not wearing any armor, he looked terrified, but what was he doing in a battlefield if he wasn't there to fight...?

In the early hours of morning, his ears picked up voices, and he slipped out of bed and peered out into the hall. The voices were coming from downstairs.
He crept past his brother's doors and then peeked through the railing.

His father stood with two soldiers, who looked tired and worn.
"...We won't send out any more officers than absolutely necessary..." He shook his head. "Lazainiar has been attempting to destroy our alliances for years... Hopefully the prophecy is right, and my boys can take her when she gets to the gates."

Shadow shuddered. They'd only been here a day, and already Lazla was coming to fight them. That was her plan, attack before they were prepared for it. And what prophecy was he talking about...?
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At breakfast, Sonic noticed Shadow's unease, the eldest prince playing with his food a bit. "Care to share?" He asked.

Shadow looked up. "Hmm?"

"Dude, you're as nervous as a chaos emerald in Eggman's clutches. What's wrong?"

"...I overheard dad's conversation with the soldiers this morning."

King Titan leaned back in his chair. "Ah...I see." He caught his other sons' curious looks. "Lazla is on her way here to end this thing."

"Already!?" Silver stood up, unintentionally morphing to diamond before catching himself. "We're not ready yet!"

"Which is exactly why she's coming now, with five hundred soldiers with her."

"Three against five hundred and one? That's not fair!" Sonic complained.

"Well neither is leaving me out of the equation!" Venice argued. "I can fight too, you know."
His ears drooped as his brothers gave uncertain glances. "Yeah...maybe not."

"Ven, don't take it the wrong way, but..." Sonic bit his lip. "...You're not exactly ready to take a dandelion on."

"But Venice is right." Minerva replied. "He must be there to assist if you're to prevail. Besides, he has his own Fae powers to find."

"Mom, he's gonna get squished like a bug out there!"

"Sonic Maurice Olgilvie...!?"

Sonic cringed as his mother used his middle names, turning slightly translucent. "Yes, ma'am..."

Shadow sat in silence. "...Maurice Olgilvie." He mumbled with a smirk. "Hmm."

"You tell anyone about that, and I swear I'll put spiders in your bed!"

"...Mom? There's a painting in my room of a battle. What battle was that?"

"If you're wondering about the hedgehog hiding in the back, his name was Olgilvie. That was The Shattering, and Olgilvie was the one who stole the Chaos Emeralds to hide them from Lazla's forces...he was also the first king of the Fae and my ancestor. It's a story I'll tell some other time."

Silver stood up. "We need to get ready. Lazla won't like to be kept waiting."

Shadow nodded. "You're right...it's time to end this."
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Meanwhile, outside in the courtyard, Amanda and Quetzal were watching the city go by from the gates. "They're so peaceful down there..."

"Let's hope it stays that way..." Amanda held a hand to her chest, and armor formed on her body. Not much, but enough to cover vital parts. "...They don't even know my secret, Que..."

"At least yours isn't one to be ashamed of, Mandie. Don't worry, once my mother's defeated, I'm sure all of her spells will be undone."

That would be so wonderful! Spiral appeared next to them. I wanna be real again...!

"You are real, Spiral."

Not really...I can't go home like this. What kind of a sister can I be when I'm a ghost...? My family thinks I got vaporized!

Suddenly there was the blow of a horn, and the three girls all looked to each other. "She's on her way." Quetzal mumbled.

Amanda's eyes narrowed. "Let's end this...!"