The Knight and The Caretaker (Sonic x Lancelot)

The Orphanage

Lancelot

I slowed Onyx down as we came to the fork in the road.

"The right path, correct?" I asked.

"Yup! We've walked home a lot we know the way we're going!" Answered Tails.

As Onyx trotted down the path, I decided to get some answers from the two.

"If you don't mind, do you think you can answer a few questions I have for you two?" I asked.

"Sure we don't mind at all!" Said Cream.

"Why are you two living out here in the woods with your brother? Haven't you got a father or mother who works a job? You seem to be making all the money yourselves..." I said.

"Hehe, yeah, I kinda make a lot the money to keep us stable but it's okay! My brother makes some money here and there! And uhm neither of us have parents. We're orphans. That's why we live in the Orphanage."

I stopped Onyx.
"My apologies, but you live out here, in an orphanage?" I asked.

This was very confusing, there was no Orphanages out here, and if there was I had never heard of one.

"Yup! It's really nice though!" Said Cream.

"How come I've never heard of this orphanage? This is not something that I knew existed out here." I said jerking on the reins again to get Onyx moving.

"Oh the nobility and knights, such a yourself, don't know about it! Mostly just us peasants, that's why you've never heard of it." Said Tails.

"Interesting." I hummed.

"Yeah, but we always walk home from work everyday when the work bell tolls that the work day is over, but those Bandits just started taking our money, and it's been really hard for us. And recently, one of the kids at the orphanage, Eve got really sick, and we were getting her medicine today!" Exclaimed Cream.

"I do hope she gets better, and I suppose I should come down here more often to take you back to the orphanage? If those bandits persist in stealing from you two." I said, as I turned the horse a bit to dodge two pedestrians.

There were people living out here in small grouped up houses, but the Orphanage is probably isolated.

"Lancelot! Sir Lancelot!" Said Tails, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm, yes?" I asked.

"The tree with the light catcher! It's over there! The turn is just around the tree!" Said Tails, pointing to the direction I needed to go.

I spotted the tree with a light catcher tied to one of it's branches, sparkling in the sunlight as hung from the tree
I pulled Onyx's reins in the direction I needed him to go and turned around the small road into the forest.
It was a small dirt road that had clearly not been walked on a lot with the grass slowly starting to come back.

Then the road stopped at a pair of open iron gates with the metal bent into shapes of flowers and vines.

"Yep and we're here! Hopefully they didn't get too worried about us!" Said Tails as Onyx trotted past the gates.

The orphanage was genuinely beautiful.
In a giant clearing, it was a giant, old Victorian home painted shades of purple and blue. Vines climbed up sides of the house, and the windows were all open. The large front yard that opened up was filled with patches of flowers and small patches of produce plants were placed in front of the house.

And the main detail.
There were children, running around everywhere.
They were playing in the grasses and weaving flower crowns out of the flowers.

"Hey guys! We're back!" Shouted Tails, gaining the attention of almost every child there as we trotted up to the area where most of the children are playing.
I stopped Onyx as all the children gathered around.

"Tails and Cream are back!"
"You're back! You're back!"
"Woah! Horsey!"
"Who's the knight guy?"
"Woah! Hi Tails! Hi Cream! Hi Sir!"

I chuckled at all their enthusiasm and then got down off Onyx.
I helped Tails and Cream off my horse, as children watched and some pet Onyx.

"So, all these children live here with you?" I asked, as I set Cream on the ground.

"Yup! Some of them have left over a year or two since they got old enough to live on their own but it's alright, the older ones are a huge help!" Said Tails.

"TAILS! CREAM!" Shouted a child's voice.

A young bee ran up to them and scooped them into a hug.
"I was worried the bandit might've got you guys!" Said the bee.
"We're okay Charmy! The bandits hardly touched us little brother!" Said Tails.

"So this is the brother you were talking about?" I asked.

"Oh no, this is our adopted brother Charmy, but we have an older brother!" Said Cream.

"Really? Is he one of these older kids?" I asked looking around at the large group of children gathered around us and Onyx.

"Oh no, he's much older! He's actually an adult! And he's the caretaker here! He should be around here somewhere..." said Tails, looking around.

"What."

"Oh there he is! SONIC!! BIG BROTHER!!" Exclaimed Cream, pointing and waving at the house.

I looked at the house to see someone leaving the inside of the giant Victorian house.
He was carrying a woven basket filled with clothes and sheets, and looked up when the bunny started shouting.

The caretaker, he was an adult hedgehog with sapphire blue quills and emerald green eyes. He had on a green bandanna over his head, and a dark grey scarf with a white shirt that had the sleeves rolled up. He wore brown pants with an old patched up apron tied around his waist. He had dark grey strips of cloth wrapped around his paws instead of shoes, and a shining gold and green bracelet sparkled on his wrist.

This was Sonic.
The caretaker of the orphanage.
And the person who would change my life forever.