Chapter 3:

Violet Missing Richard's Return

Cinnamon silently rode the bus to school, ignoring her brother's conversation with his friend. She hoped yesterday hadn't scared Violet from coming to school. "She never would miss school… unless… "Cinnamon began to think. No, the incident from yesterday didn't hurt her that much, did it?

It sure hurt her. Cinnamon only helped her mother stop crying through Marius's consoling, Zoran's soft words, and Cinnamon promising she wouldn't do anything like this for the rest of the year.

"Thank goodness this is the middle of September." Cinnamon thought. "I can't till January!"

As soon as she got to school, Cinnamon didn't even wait for Sonic Jr. She went straight to Biology, thinking that her mother would be there, perhaps with Violet by her side. She quickly walked to the science room, passing the Chemistry lab, when she overhead two male voices.

"Yes! I did it!"

"Dan! No, what have you done?"

"I placed some sulfide in the mixture."

"Are you trying to kill me Dan?"

Cinnamon laughed as a putrid smell came from the chemistry room, and the two boys running out. Yet when she entered the Biology room, it quickly turned to shock as she looked upon Cosmo talking earnestly to a substitute. When Cosmo noticed her, she made a movement with her hands toward the sub, said a quick excuse me, and moved hastily toward Cinnamon. "Do you know where Violet is? She's not at home!"

"I thought she would be with you." Cinnamon replied with the same degree of worry.

"Hey Mrs. Prower, Cinnamon, what's wrong?" The two women's eyes began to grow big as Cinnamon noticed her most hated arch-enemy walk toward her. Already her fists were balled up. "Is that Kauri?"

"Why you!" Cinnamon growled barely restraining herself from pouncing on her. Sonic and Cosmo glared at her too. The panther Kauri, with her sleek black fur, seemed to adore the attention, giving Sonic a suggestive glance, which softened his gaze considerably, while enraging Cinnamon even more.

"I'm a changed girl, honestly." Kauri told them pleadingly. "Don't you believe me… great hero?" She looked at Sonic as she said this with a flirtatious pose, and Sonic nodded, which made Cinnamon impossibly angrier.

"Sonic! She's evil! Pure evil!"

"Cinnamon, anyone's capable of redemption." Sonic Jr. told her. "Look at her. She looks like a sweet innocent girl." The way Sonic looked at Kauri, with her purposely attracting his attention, infuriated Cinnamon completely now.

"I've had it with you!" Cinnamon glared at him. "What, do you even care about me? Am I any better than those other girls? I don't want this anymore!" Cinnamon began to sob, but once again, Sonic Jr. stopped her from being foolish.

"They're breaking up!" Some girls nearby began to cheer.

"Quiet!" Cosmo told them all, and they hushed. She glared at Kauri. "If you've done anything with my daughter…"

"What, you're going to hit me?" Kauri asked, toying with shock. "But if you did, you'd lose your job, Mrs. Prower! You wouldn't want that, would you?"

An evil grin began to make her way up her face as Kauri turned away, walking away satisfied.

"Ooh!" Cinnamon grunted at her.

"What's going on?" A raccoon asked, an arctic fox standing next to her. "Where's Violet?" The fox asked in turn.

"Sarah, Richard, Violet's missing." Cosmo told them. "Have you seen her today at all?"

Richard, shocked, shook his head. "We have to find her!"

"No, stay at school, children. Miles and I can handle this."

"But…"

"Please, stay at school. I don't want parents getting on my case."

Then Cosmo left them standing in the hallway, and the four were quiet, Cinnamon glaring at Sonic and Kauri's allies that were silently cheering. The ring of the bell broke the silence.

Sonic Jr. began to move toward the exit. "Where are you going mister? I'm not done with you!"

"I'm going to find Violet." Sonic Jr. told her. "My father won't care about me, and he'll ail mother's worries. "And you're not coming. You just broke up with me."

"No I didn't! I'm just fed up with you and…"

"Well, for the sake of the two of us, let's just go back to the way things were before we dated."

Cinnamon looked at him flabbergasted. "Sonic… I…" She lost her voice, turned away, and moved several steps away from the others.

"We wouldn't have married anyway. I'm not the one for you. Just… go to class." Cinnamon started sobbing, and ran away from the three. Sonic and the other two watched her part silently. The tardy bell began to ring. It wasn't the best ending… but Sonic didn't know what else to say anyway.

"Hey." Richard grabbed Sonic's shoulder, interrupting the silence. "If you're looking for Violet, I'm coming too." Sonic nodded.

"And me." Sarah said. "I owe her so much, please let me go! If you don't, I'll tell all your parents!"

Sonic laughed, not really afraid, but understanding her plea. "Alright, Sarah. You can come."

The three walked out the door, turning around when they noticed Cinnamon running after them, tears trolling down her eyes. "Please, you need me too!" The heartbroken Cinnamon demanded.

Richard and Sarah turned to Sonic Jr. "I think you're an idiot." Richard told him. "For breaking her heart and breaking it at the wrong time."

"Thanks." Sonic Jr. replied sarcastically. "But this is my business."

"Come on, Sonic." Sarah told him. "She'll follow us anyway."

Sonic sighed. "Alright. Come along Cinnamon." Cinnamon trudged after them, keeping her distance from the three.

(A few meters away)

Kauri the Panther watched from the window. "Well, I can't try to woo Sonic Jr. today…"

"You got over Henri pretty fast…" A voice commented.

"Oh, Henri's still a good snack. But I want something… richer…"

The voice snickered. "So we're going to follow them then? They are after something even richer than Sonic."

Kauri laughed. "Yes, I am curious on their plan. Does Sonic even know where he is going… Pitney?"

The pig rose from the shadows as he and Kauri exited the building, beginning to follow his trail. "We shall see…"

(Near the Hebrides' Sea)

A fox with a single tail and a golden crown sat on a throne in the golden painted room. Two guards stood near the doors, their hands lying near their sword belts, ready to draw them at a second's notice. An aging expression was on her face, a heavy feeling in her heart. She sighed, looking at her advisor. "This war isn't going well, is it?"

"Perhaps not." Her advisor admitted. "But you must keep praying, my lady." He smiled at her. "One of your refugees is doing a great job keeping the children happy with his stories. "

"That odd robot?" The queen asked. "Yes, he seems immune to the depression. Or perhaps he knows how take it better." She smiled gravely. "This is a selfish thought, but I am glad that he got stuck here."

"Oho, I don't think he's trapped at all my lady." The advisor commented. "I think he's chosen to be here."

A hologram began to flicker in the central of the room, and the advisor and the queen jumped as a figure of a black hedgehog emerged.

"Queen Selina," The hedgehog began with a bow.

"Yes, Shadow, you may speak." Queen Selina replied. The holo image of Shadow smiled respectfully.

"Your cousin's daughter, Violet is coming to learn what you can teach her about… her abilities." Shadow informed her.

Queen Selina smiled, but then frowned. "I did want her to come and see me, but this is kind of a bad time. Our gates are blocked by the enemy."

Shadow grimaced. "My apprentice is bringing her to you, and I have no way of contacting him. Is there no possible alternative? A secret entrance? A way to buy time?"

Queen Selina pondered for a moment. "My queen, may I speak?" Her advisor asked.

"Always, Sir Roland."

The fox coughed. "Do you remember your other two recent refugees?"

"I have a lot of refugees, unfortunately, Sir Ronald. Which two do you speak of?"

"The two that got in here through the underwater cave, my lady."

"Ah! Those two… Yes. Guards, summon that four-tailed fox and that rabbit."

A few moments later, and the guards ushered in a bluish silver four tailed mizo no kitsune (sea fox), with eyes the hue of a sea, and a cotton tail rabbit with very light orange brownish fur and hazel eyes. The rabbit beamed at the queen happily, holding the fox's hand as they bowed gracefully. "Your grace?"

"First, I apologize for keeping you here the way I have. As you can see, this war is keeping me cautious."

"Oh, its okay, my queen." The rabbit replied pleasantly.

The queen smiled charmingly. "I need you two to act as scouts. You know the way through the cave, correct?" The two nodded. "You are looking for my cousin's daughter. She has completely unusual eyes and plants on her head, and perhaps a traveling companion or friend. Bring them here, but be careful out there. You've seen the enemy forces and what they're capable of. I don't want you two to get hurt."

The fox stood up straight, holding the rabbit's hand tightly. "You can count on us!" Queen Selina then motioned for the guards to usher them out. She then turned to Shadow, who had a content look on his face. "There. Your apprentice and Violet will make it here fine. I will report back to you when they have arrived."

Shadow nodded. "Thank you, my queen."

The hologram turned off, and the queen sighed as a knight rushed in. "My queen, our spy has reported back."

"Send him in." The queen told the knight. "It's about time this day grows gloomy."

A/N: Not as good, but I thought I really should update. Next update: Tuesday.