I own only the old chief guard and Bill, I guess.

I do not mean to make money from this, so please just read and enjoy.

The day the earth alien began to try to help us make our own flying machines, I watched my little two tailed fox carefully. Often before, if he found what was an interesting rock to him, he would pass it from hand to hand and even throw it. He never did so at people at least not intentionally. If he did disturb one or more villagers by doing so, he'd hide behind me. I then made him come out and apologize. When I asked about this habit, he would tell me he wanted to see the stones fly through the air see how far they would go, and how fast, and when they'd arc back down toward the ground. He loved doing so with lighter objects as well especially on windy days. He loved doing this with my shed feathers especially. Sometimes, along with sticks he'd make kites out of them or leaves or both.

The day after the earth alien arrived, Tails threw a rock especially far away, so it landed beyond the length of my chain. I narrowed my eyes at him. He began to walk toward where it landed a little stiffly, I thought. Then he paused, by the time he was looking behind him in my direction, my foot was already connecting with his body.

I pinned him to the ground my talons surrounding and holding him there, though I put no weight on him. Since he was on his back, he was able to stare up at me as he thrashed teeth bared as he shouted and then snarled. "Heeeyyy … Leme go Long-claw!"

"First tell me what was going through your mind ..."

"Nothing!"

"You never try to go so far away from me I can't reach you. Until today."

"I just want to watch Bill help the others make flying machines!"

"Earlier you said you wanted to help, and while you might be able to someday …"

"I just want to watch now!"

"You need to be patient little one."

"This is stupid! I know way more about flying than anyone else who'd not a bird! I do experiments about it all the time!"

"I know, but with all the building and experimenting the others will be doing you might get hurt."

"No, I won't!"

"The other warriors think you might."

"They don't care."

I sighed. Then I said, "I care."

He wilted a little beneath my talons and then stared up at me with lowered ears and wet eyes. "Please Long-claw …"

I sighed again. "Perhaps I can ask our guards when they return to take us to our hut for the night."

He began to struggle beneath my foot again trying to lift it with his hands while kicking with his legs. "That will take too looooooonggg!"

"You need to be patient Tails."

He growled and thrashed about a bit. I watched for a moment waiting for him to be calm when he saw he could not make me otherwise. Then I felt my attention drawn away. My feathers rose over my skin. I turned my head to see the person I least wished to watching Tails and me. The echidna I had been on guard duty with so long ago, on whose guard Sonic had fallen on the emerald met my gaze.

I frowned back at him. He'd been the first to attack me after I sent Sonic through the portal. He'd been my accuser at my trial. He seemed to hate the fact the chief guardian over all the secret locations of the emeralds only one to know where they all hid, had kept me from being either tortured or killed. Now the still young echidna stared at me with only a slight glare. Then saw him frown darkly back and march away. After he'd escaped my vision by walking around a bend in the trail hidden from view by trees, I looked back down to see Tails had quieted and was staring up at me. I sighed. "Can you wait for me to ask when they come see us tonight, Tails?"

He answered in a more miserable voice than I had heard from him in some time. "Yes."

I lifted my foot off him, and he sat up. He did not play all the rest of the day.

That evening, I stiffened as I heard many warriors coming toward Tails and me their feet beating the dirt trails and legs brushing against leaves. Indeed, about ten warriors turned the corner of the trail to approach us. Leading them was our chief guardian wearing his grey feathers, colorless to show he did not guard one colored emerald, but them all. He who'd declared Sonic too dangerous to live, and me too valuable in my potential to control him to torture or kill met my gaze as I watched him approach. With him came four chameleons, four foxes and the echidna who'd seen me pinning Tails to the ground instead of letting him escape to watch the construction of flying machines directed by his now beloved Bill. Tails hid behind me now.

The Chief came closest to me before stopping. He stood a moment in silence then glanced at where he could see the lowered tips of Tails tails' touching the ground from behind my own tail feathers that stopped before reaching the ground. The old echidna intoned, "My right hand …" He gestured to the younger echidna. My eye-ridges rose. I had not known my old enemy had gained that high rank. I thrust my attention back to the old echidna quickly as he continued though. "Says the child wants to watch the construction of the flying machines meant to help us keep invaders from reaching the Chaos Emeralds."

I nodded without speaking. Tails did not speak but did peer out from behind me. The old echidna went on. "According to my right-hand's testimony you are quite effective at keeping him contained over short distances."

I nodded again even as Tails lowered his gaze but did not shrink back behind me. The old guard went on. "Perhaps it would be good for a youth with such a keen mind to watch."

Now Tails raised his head and smiled. I did not feel such relief yet. Indeed, I heard my voice question him with a tone I never would have spoken to a leader of lower rank years ago. "Why are you changing your mind?"

He raised his head and did not sharpen his voice in reply to the edge in my own. "The efforts are not going well in making our own flying machines. And we need them to guard the emeralds better."

I nodded. I believed that.

What do you think?

God bless

ScribeofHeroes