A/N:

I'm sorry for the long wait. I was trying to come up with something for chapter 11, but alas nothing. I like to have a buffer between chapters. Enjoy chapter 7. Reviews are always welcome.

Chapter 7:

Conversations and Worries

"So what exactly is your plan?" Tails asked Shadow, who was carefully pinning butterflies to the stems of various pressed flowers.

"I can't do much from here," said Shadow. "No one knows I'm doing this except you, Maria and Freda. She's Sonic's old housekeeper. I'm a prince, Tails. Princes don't do what I'm doing."

"So… If anyone found out what would happen?"

"Well," said Shadow, my father and mother would force me to pick a courtier or princess and marry them right away. "They would exile Sonic and I'd never be able to see her again. Her step sisters and step mother would take over the house that is rightly Sonic's and… I just can't bare the thought of thinking about it. Mother and father have strict rules about this kind of thing."

"What made you fall in love with her in the first place?" Tails asked curiously.

"I don't even know that," said Shadow. "It happened over a period of time. That day when she met you was the day I finally decided to do something. She always looked so lonely, but then suddenly, like a gift from the gods, you were there. It looked like her luck was turning from bad to good and I'd be able to learn some information about her. I never dreamed I was sorely mistaken. It went from bad to worse… I had been watching her from the trees ever since her and I were little."

"So you didn't really find me a place to live because you wanted to?" asked Tails sadly.

Shadow pondered for a few moments as he arranged his flowers and butterflies. He placed the pressed roses, carnations and orchids onto a board, each butterfly pinned to the stem precisely in the spot which looked the best to Shadow. After this was done, Shadow slipped the board carefully into a glass frame. As he did this and brooded over the alignment of his gift, Tails twitched his tails worriedly. After his first meeting with Shadow, Tails had pondered why Shadow had seemed so surprised Tails did not know him. Put together with Shadow's upper class clothing and the way the bunnies acted around him, Tails had realized Shadow was a prince. Tails was a little wary of princes, but Shadow had been… Almost kind to him.

"A little," said Shadow finally. "I thought if I found you a place, you wouldn't die of starvation and ruin my plan. "At the same time, though, I'm a prince, and if princes must rule well they can't leave people out in the cold. In the future, when I became king, you might have been useful one day."

"I'm confused," said Tails, "And why are you pinning butterflies onto pressed flowers?"

"I wanted Sonic to have a friend," said Shadow. I couldn't be that myself, at least not where I could be seen. I wanted her to be happy. At the same time, I could never be mean to a potential friend, or a starving, cold creature whether it talks or not. This forest is mine. I've lived in it practically my whole life. Also, if I let you die, my sister would kill me. I'm trying to make a gift for Sonic. I covered the butterflies with a magic substance which lets their colors shine forever. I couldn't think of anything else to make her, nothing that wouldn't be snatched up right away anyway."

"Yes I would," said a voice from behind Tails. "That gift sounds lovely Shadow. I'm sure she'll love it!"

Tails jumped and squeaked in surprise. A yellow hedgehog with grass green eyes, just a few shades paler than Sonic's emerald ones, walked into view. She was wearing a bright blue dress with a pink sash. She patted Tails on the shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, little fox," she said. "I'm Maria, Shadow's sister. If he had left you to die, I would be very cross indeed."

Tails talked with the two royal hedgehogs for a few more minutes, then noticed it was getting dark. He waved to them and flew home, where his new mother stood waiting at the door. Tails tried to think of her as mother, at least. Her name was Clarice, and her husband's name was Carter. They were both very kind and treated him well. He still missed his old home, though, but had no idea how to get back there, and had no wish to leave.

"Hi Clar… Mom," said Tails shyly.

"Did you have fun today?" asked Clarice as she let Tails into the house and led him into the kitchen. "We're having bread and cheese for supper, and I've made you some chicken."

"I played with Sonic a little, and talked to Prince Shadow about some things," said Tails, sitting down at the table and receiving a pat on the back from Carter.

Clarice served the food and they all ate well. Tails talked to them both about his day and thought about what Prince Shadow had said. Tails had told them about Sonic's living situation now, and Shadow had just nodded and growled angrily. He had talked to Freda, and was very furious about how Sonic was treated now. Tails hoped one day that Sonic would find Shadow alone, and become friends with him. That would be the only way things could be possible now. Sonic would not be happy if Shadow just came and stole her away.

That was not possible in any case. The king and queen were planning a great ball for Shadow's 20th birthday, but that was not for 4 years, and Sonic would have a very hard home life unless Tails and Shadow could both help her out. Sonic needed another friend. She needed another rock to lean on. Tails knew he was very helpful, or hoped he was, but he was still little. He was a teen, but, well, he didn't know what he meant.

Shadow was learned, and had studied many things. Tails was just a scientist. He knew how to experiment with things, build objects, and brew potions, but he wasn't sure that was enough. Maybe he was just thinking of all this the wrong way. He decided to worry about it later. It had been a long day, so he dug into his chicken, bread and cheese with gusto.

"We'll be going to the fair tomorrow," said Carter. "Would you like to go with us?"

"I thought the fair was only for today," said Tails.

"It lasts for two days more," Clarice explained. "There will be rides and market stalls set up. I was planning on selling some of my vegetables. Carter can show you around if you'd like."

"I don't know."

Tails frowned at his remaining piece of bread. Sonic wasn't allowed to go to the fair. Her new stepmother and siblings had just left her in the house without even asking if she wanted to go. Clarice hugged him tight and Tails tried not to cry.

"If you'd rather play with your friend, that's alright," said Carter. "Maybe you can go the day after tomorrow."

"I do want to go," Tails replied, tears trickling down his cheeks. "I doubt they'd let Sonic go, though. They'll probably make her wash laundry."

"Why don't you go, and if you don't see Sonic there, we can take you home," Carter suggested. "How does that sound?"

Tails nodded and finished his supper. He helped his new parents wash the dishes, then flew upstairs to his room. He worked on making a toy plane, then put it away after a few minutes of fiddling. He was too sad to work on it anymore He lay down and pulled the blankets over him. Tomorrow was a new day. He'd wait to find out what would happen then.