Chapter 10:

The Angel is always the golden thread…

A/N: As the title says, the Angel (Violet) is the golden thread of this story, though she is weaving some things together she doesn't really want to put together…

Dr. Gears Robotnik smiled sinisterly. Everything was going as planned. Currently, he was already debating price with the group. In truth, he hardly cared how much they asked for, and when they demanded 1k, he laughed, and said he'd give them that and a bonus of five hundred if they could get Sonic's son. After all, why not get revenge at the same time you get power?

He sent his messenger to give them the report. He knew they'd agree, and he'd have quite a lot in two days… should they succeed of course.

But in that he had little doubt.

§§§§§§

When Violet arrived home, she somehow managed to avoid telling the more exciting parts of her day to her parents. She didn't want to unnecessarily burden them, and most of all, not want her mother to quit teaching her at home because of the dangers.

Nevertheless, there was one thing she had failed to hide, and she had not yet realized it until her mother came into the door, with a biology book.

"Hey Mom!" Violet said somewhat cheerfully to her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. I wanted to talk with you…" She said to her. "Besides, neither you nor your father is very good with secrets…"

Violet was quite afraid for a moment that she knew something about the events after school today. But Violet soon found her answer when she saw what page Cosmo was looking at in the Biology book. And of course, the word "attraction" gave enough away for Violet to realize what her mother had learned.

"You know, it is odd, but plants don't really feel any attraction to each other like animals do." Cosmo said to her.

Violet knew where this was leading to… She heard the plant on her nightstand whisper excitedly to her, asking her the same question.

"You know… there is a really beautiful hill near the edge of town…" Cosmo informed her. "Nice place to sit under the trees and talk about anything, maybe even to play an instrument with someone…"

Violet pretended to be immersed with reading her history textbook, but Cosmo seemed to enjoy making Violet blush. "You know, one of my students looked really dreamy today… just as dream as you did yesterday at the dinner table. He had finished his work, and was drawing a picture of a beautiful star. The odd thing was though… that it looked more like a star within an eye…"

"Well, a lot of people like stars and eyes." Violet said. "Why not draw both?"

"Violet!" Cosmo said, laughing. "Do you realize that you are quite lucky I'm not giving you another "talk" like your father suggested? I'm telling you to seize the moment that's about to come!"

"What moment?" Violet asked, though she had a feeling she knew what it was.

Cosmo smiled. "You already know…"

She went over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, leaving her to her work and surprise. Her father may be a genius, but Cosmo was quite clever herself.

§§§§§

It was already 10 o'clock, and the wolf was looking across to the window of Violet. He had watched the girl for many days now, and he could not help but admire her sleeping form. There was so much beauty in it…

Though the wolf realized his emotions, he knew the girl was not and would never be his. Their lives were too different, and his life was too dark. One doesn't bring an angel to an underground cave. Winged creatures of the sky cringe in gloom in such dark places.

He also knew that her heart was extremely vulnerable. There was so much softness and innocence that he was surprised that evil had yet to crack it at all. Most children do wrongs at some point for the wrong reason. Violet had yet to do anything of the sort…

Midnight was coming near, so he headed up to the roof of the building to which his master would await. Shadow, after all, did not like it when he was late. And tonight he had interesting news to share to Shadow…

Shadow received his report with much curiosity. "You saw the robot following Violet?" Shadow asked as the wolf told his tale. The wolf nodded.

"What else have you learned?" Then the wolf explained what he knew of what he had seen of the arctic fox and the Half-Seedrian after the school day had ended. "And what do you know of the injuries the fox suffered?"

"He had suffered very recent injuries, but I could not discern from what he said how they occurred." The wolf did not like thinking of the Arctic fox, perhaps because of dislike, or perhaps because of jealousy. He had not missed how Violet had taken care of his wounds, or the look the fox had given to Violet.

Shadow nodded. "I'd suggest you keep an eye on not only Violet and the robot, but this fox of yours as well."

"Master!" The wolf protested. "I'm quite sure that the arctic fox's injuries were merely received from some bully he had provoked."

"I doubt that." Shadow responded. "He is connected to Violet too much. He could be in danger should Dr. Gears attack."

"I understand." The wolf said disappointingly.

"Do not fail me, my apprentice." Shadow whispered to him. He disappeared into the darkness.

"I shall not, my master…" The wolf whispered to himself. "I shall not…"

§§§

Violet was rather disturbed as she noticed that the panther and her friends were not at school the following day. She was glad that they were not there, but she wondered if she had made them stuck "within time." She did not think that even those foul souls deserved such a fate…

Violet was growing to accept the idea of her abilities more and more. She thought about them, but was careful not to share her thoughts with even the flora near her. She had not even bothered to tell Cinnamon. No one but she and Richard understood the situation.

It was rather more disconcerting noticing that Richard was not there during band class either. Aillish seemed to notice that she suddenly felt down and asked if she was okay. Violet hated lying, and decided to tell her that she was just thinking on a sad thought for a moment. There was no lie in that. Still, her cousin looked very unconvinced and continuously tried to find her source of sadness, with no luck. Violet let her to continue to guess inaccurately, not really wanting her to know the reason.

In history, Cinnamon and Sonic jr. too, tried to learn what made her sad. But they had no luck. Often their own younger brothers would be just as hard to discern, (particularly Gyrozx), but they were usually able to eventually figure out what made them feel a certain way.

With Violet they had no luck. They did not understand that she was afraid for Richard, because the fact that he was absent at the same time the panther and her friends were absent gave Violet a very bad omen…