Chapter 1

In the tower, a purple chameleon with black cuffs and black boots went onto the ledge of the window. He looked around and hid in front of a flower pot with green polka-dots. He changed to the color of it scared and breathing heavily.

Shade burst open the doors of the window. She grew into a fair woman, shorter than most girls her age, but a lot tougher. She didn't really have that much of a figure, a feature she didn't really ponder on much. Who was gonna see her anyways?

"AHA!" she looked around and saw the chameleon, but pretended not to notice. "Hmm... Well, I guess Espio's not hiding out here." She walked away from the window, long hair trailing behind as Espio looked back at her. He chuckled at how he was able to trick her so easily. Too easily. Before he knew it, an ivory stand of hair grabbed hold of his tail and pulled him up out of nowhere.

"GOTCHA!" Shade hung upside-down holding her hair in front of Espio. He screamed out of instinct and turned back to purple.

Shade got down and lowered Espio back onto the ledge of the window. As she un-looped her hair from a hook on the outside of the tower she said, "That's 22 for me. How about 23 out of 45?"

Espio stared at her with a bored look.

"Ok." She sat on the ledge. "What do you wanna do?"

Espio smiled and pointed outside. Shade picked him up by the tail and swung her legs around to hang off the ledge; the red and black dress flowed in the breeze. "Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here, and so do you."

Espio just stared at her before he made a fart sound with his mouth making a thumbs-down sign.

Shade picked him up again, "Oh c'mon, Espio. It's not that bad." The girl swung back into the tower. As she ran inside her hair was longer than ever. A full 70-feet! She stood on the beams of the roof and threw her hair onto a lever that pulled down to reveal a skylight. She slid down her hair, landing next to the clock on the wall, and started to sing while working.

"7 am. The usual morning line up. Start up the chores and sweep till the floor's all clean. Polishing, wax, do laundry, and mop, and shine up. Sweep again and by then, it's like 7:15. So I'll read a book, or maybe, 2 or 3. I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery. I'll play guitar, and knit, and cook, and basically just wonder when will my life begin..."

Shade looked at one of the walls. On a ledge there was a space between 2 curtains with a pattern that you could move for decoration in-between. Shade got out her paint set, moved the decoration, and started to paint.

"Then after lunch it's puzzles, and darts, and baking. Paper-mache`, a bit of ballet, and chess. Pottery, then ventriloquy, candle-making. Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb, sow a dress (poor Espio, he had to wear it.) And I'll re-read the books if I have time to spare. I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. And then I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair, stuck in the same place I've always been..."

Shade started to throw her hair around the room in circles.

"And I'll keep wonderin', and wonderin', and wonderin', and wonderin' when will my life begin..."

She walked up to the window in a fantasy-like state, leaning against the ledge as she looked up at the sky.

"Tomorrow night...lights will appear...Just like they do on my birthday each year...What is it like...out there where they glow? Now that I'm older...Daddy might just let me go..."

She turned around twirling her glistening hair between her finger as she walked over to the painting. The picture she drew was of herself on a tree looking up at the lights that come every birthday. She's always wanted to go there, but her dad was so strict. He's more than an over-protective father. He was annoyingly over-protective.

In the kingdom, 3 mobians were running across rooftops of houses and soon the castle roof. The one in front was an ebony hedgehog with red stripes on his quills, arms and legs. His shoes were made of metal, but it seemed like he moved without a sound. The second was a green hawk named Jet with red and black boots, red goggles on his head, and had a white tuft of feathers on his chest. The last one was a big grey albatross named Storm with grey sneakers, yellow goggles on his head, and wasn't very smart in most cases.

As the hedgehog looked out for any soldiers, he looked out at the kingdom. "Wow," he said, "I could get used to a view like this."

"Hey, Mr. Ultimate Life-form." Jet yelled sarcastically saying his name.

"Wait, hold on...Yep, I'm used to it. Guys, I want a castle."

"After this job, you can buy your own castle," Jet grabbed and pushed him towards a window on the roof. The albatross held onto the rope as he lowered the hedgehog down towards a red pillow. All the guards were surrounding it, so he had to be extra quiet.

But one of the guards sneezed.

"Ugh, hay fever?" the hedgehog asked smirking.

"Yeah." The guard replied. After he realized his mistake, he turned around, but the 3 of them had already left.

"HEY WAIT!" he yelled.

The boys were running across the bridge connecting the town to the forest.

"Can't you picture me in my own castle," the hedgehog said, "'cause I can. All the things we've seen and it's only 8 in the morning. Gentleman, this is a very big day!"

Shade put away her paint set, "This is it. This is a very big day, Espio." He crawled onto her shoulder. "I'm finally gonna do it. I'm gonna ask him."

A voice was heard outside, her father's. "Shade, let down your hair!"

"It's time!" Shade exclaimed. Espio stood on her shoulder and puffed his chest out to tell her be brave.

"I know. I know. Now don't let him see you." She put him on the wall and closed the curtains, but he still blended in anyway.

"Shade!" he called again. "I'm not getting any younger down here."

"Coming, Dad!" Shade called. She wrapped her hair onto the hook outside and threw the rest of it out the window. Mephiles wrapped it around his hand and stepped into the loop he made, holding on as Shade pulled him up.

"Hi…" Shade panted from pulling, "Welcome…home, Dad..."

Mephiles put the hood down on his cloak showing some crystalline feature in his quills. "Oh, Shade. How you manage to do that absolutely without fail. It must be so exhausting."

"Oh...it's nothing."

"Then I don't know why it took so long." He teased. "Haha. Oh darling. I'm just kidding." He walked over to the mirror looking at himself.

"Heh-heh. Right… Anyway, Dad, as you know tomorrow's a very big day, and-"

"Shade," Mephiles pulled her over and they both looked in the mirror, "Do you see what I see? I see a strong, proud, beautiful woman. Oh wait, you're not you mom." Mephiles chuckled again before looking back at the mirror.

"I'm just teasing. You need to stop taking everything so seriously."

"Okay… Dad, as I was saying tomorrow is-"

"Shade, your father is feeling a bit run down. Will you sing for me, dear? Then we'll talk."

"Oh sure!" Shade ran and grabbed a stool and put it in front of a chair and sat Mephiles down. She put the brush in his hand, sat down, and started to speed sing.

"Flowergleamandglow,letyourpowershine,maketheclockreverse,bringbackwhatoncewasmine..."

Mephiles tried to slow her down, but when she didn't stop, he just brushed her hair. The magic hit him in a full wave as he returned to a normal mobian.

"Healwhathasbeenhurt,changethefate'sdesgin,savewhathasbeenlost,bringbackwhatoncewasmine."

"Shade!" Mephiles was mad at her for speeding through the entire thing.

"SO!" Shade sat on his lap afterwards and shook his arm, "Earlier, I was saying how tomorrow's a pretty big day, and you didn't really respond, so I'm just gonna tell you, it's my BIRTHDAY! Heh, ta-da!"

Mephiles took her off his arm and said, "No,no,no, can't be. I distinctly remember your birthday was last year."

"That's the funny thing about birthdays they're kind of an annual thing." Shade sighed and sat back down on the stool.

"Look, Dad, I'm turning 18 and I wanted to ask...What I really want for this birthday, actually what I really wanted for afewbirthdaysnow…"

"Shade, speak up. You're mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah-blah-blah. It's annoying. I'm just teasing, you're adorable. I love you." Mephiles got up. He was trying to change the subject, and Shade knew it too.

Espio looked over from behind a table. Shade saw him as he gestured forward.

"UGH! I wanna see the floating lights!" There. She finally said it. The one thing she wanted most.

Mephiles looked at Shade. "Heh-heh. What?"

"Oh,um..." Shade revealed the picture on behind the curtains, "I was kinda hoping you would take me to see the floating lights."

"Oh. You mean the stars."

"No, I know what stars are and that's the thing." Shade threw her hair on a small door and pulled it open revealing light shining on a part of the wall with constellations, the sun, and moon.

"I've charted stars and they're always constant. But these, they appear on every birthday, Dad. Only my birthday. And I can't help but feel...that they're meant for me."

Mephiles walked away. "I need to see them, Dad. And not just from my window, in person. I need to know what they are."

"You want to go outside? Ugh, why Shade." He started to sing to her. "Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why we stay up in this tower."

"I know but-"

"That's right. To keep you safe and sound dear."

Mephiles started to close all the windows to block out light, soon only the skylight was shown.

"Guess I always knew this day was coming. Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest. Soon, but not yet."

"But-"

"Shh. Trust me, pet. Father knows best." Mephiles hit the wall and the lever dropped the skylight so no sun was shone. Shade had to light a candle just to see everything. He used his powers to show her all the bad things in the world.

"Father knows best. Listen to your father. It's a scary world out there. Father knows best. One way or another, something will go wrong. I swear! Ruffians, thugs, poison ivy, quicksand, cannibals, and snakes. The plague."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"But-"

"Also large bugs, men with pointy teeth, and stop no more you'll just upset me. Father's right here. Father will protect you. Darling, here's what I suggest. Skip the drama-stay with papa. Father knows best."

Shade started to get scared by everything he was saying.

"Father knows best. Listen to your daddy. On your own you won't survive. Sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy, please. They'll eat you up alive! Gullible, naïve, positively grubby, ditzy, and a bit well, hmm, vague. Plus I believe, gettin' kind of chubby. I'm just sayin' 'cause I love you. Father understands, father's here to help you. All I have is one request..."

Mephiles reappeared with his arms out as Shade ran towards Mephiles and hugged him.

"Shade?" he said.

"Yes?"

"Don't ever ask to leave this tower again."

"...Yes, Daddy..."

Mephiles sighed. "I love you very much dear."

"I love you more."

"I love you most." He kissed the top of her forehead before disappearing. "Don't forget it. You'll regret it. Father knows best."

Shade lowered Mephiles down the tower with his cloak and a basket in hand.

"I'll see you in a bit, my flower."

"I'll be here..." Shade sighed and looked out the window knowing she'll never be able to leave.