Chapter One: Enter Ryuu
As delicate as it seemed, twisting the little flower about in her hand, it in itself was a strong little plant. Stronger than she'd ever be, she thought to herself. Ryuu sighed, looking around as she sat in her perch in her favorite maple, overlooking Knothole upon a hill. She could tell that late at night was the best when to go out, because of her condition. The condition was rare, of course, but her pure white fur coat was a sign, as well as the sickly color of her skin beneath. Her hair, a stark contrast was black. That never seemed to change. The fox-cat looked around, waving her bushy tail slightly when she heard the faint call of her name. Pricking her ear, she smiled slightly from her gloom when a small rabbit came running to her, colored a beautiful light brown with darker brown markings. The little rabbit jumped up and down a bit, clapping her hands and giggling as a small chao with a red bow finally caught up with her.
"Miss Nakamura! I knew I would find you here!" said the rabbit in a bell-like voice. She pulled out of her pocket a small handkerchief, unwrapping it, revealing two small chocolate-chip cookies.
Ryuu winced at being called her last name. Last time she heard those words were when her parents perished in the invasion of Eggman's robots to Knothole over a few years ago. All she could do was cower in the corner. She was nothing like Sonic and the Freedom Fighters. They all had abilities beyond their control, and yet, even being a cousin to Miles—Tails, as he was called—she had no abilities it seemed. She shook off her musings, turning her attention to the small creature that held out the cookies as if it were an offering. She smiled, jumping down and sweeping the rabbit off her feet and making her giggle. "Little Cream, dear, you are too kind. Tell me, has your mother recovered from her cold?" she asked, and picking up the chao into her arms as well, smiling at the two.
Cream laughed, almost crushing the sweets in her hand as Cheese landed next to her, the chao giggling in its own way as well. She nodded, taking a cookie and plucking it into Ryuu's mouth. "Yes. Momma is doing well, Miss Nakamura. She knew we'd come to see you, and she was sorry she could not come." The rabbit nodded, taking the other cookie and breaking it in half, putting it into Cheese's little arms and then munching on her half. She swallowed, and then continued. "She wants you to come home with us. She wants the doctor to look at you to see if you were doing any better."
Ryuu nodded, knowing she'd had to obey. After all, Miles could not care for his older cousin; he was too young to understand. All he knew was that she had an illness that made her stay at home a lot. Because of this, as smart as he was, Ryuu forbade him to come see her in the night. She felt ashamed of what she was. Her father's family, a disgrace to the Nakamura family line, who lived in New Mobotropolis. Ryuu's mind was brought back to Mobius when Cream took her hand and pulled her along through the village, passing several huts whose lights had been turned out for the night. She was then brought to a hut with flowers all around it in a neat garden. The door opened before Cream could knock, and Cheese zoomed in, flying over to a small bed, dropping there and curling up. Cream walked over and pulled the covers over the small chao, kissing the chao "good-night" and turning to her mother.
Vanilla, her face showing she was a bit tired, but well, nodded to her little rabbit and turned her attention to the girl standing in her doorway. Vanilla was dressed in a pink robe, with a pair of white fuzzy slippers on her feet. Ryuu could tell Vanilla had been slightly sick. The older rabbit motioned for the cat-fox to come over, and Ryuu obeyed. Vanilla immediately checked both of Ryuu's ears, eyes, and then checked the pulse at the base of her neck. Vanilla's cool fingers made Ryuu tremble slightly, making Vanilla shake her head slightly. "I am calling the doctor immediately. Your pulse is strong, but it seems as if your immune system is weakening. I am not sure how long he will be, but there is someone in the other room who wishes to see you."
Ryuu nodded, paling a bit more. Please don't let it be…. She thought, but she answered Vanilla with a quiet, "Yes, Mother." After the attack a few years ago, Vanilla took in Ryuu as a child of her own, making sure that Ryuu was taken care of.
Vanilla sighed slightly, and walking over holophone, clicking a button as an old beaver appeared on the screen, adjusting his spectacles and smiling warmly at Vanilla and nodded his head. "Ah, Ms. Rabbit, nice to see that you are looking better this evening. Able to coax Ryuu from her hiding place tonight, I take it? Wonderful, I will be right over." With that last statement the holophone went black. Vanilla nodded, looking down at her appearance and gasped, rushing into her room and then apologizing to the occupant in the room.
The two-tailed fox walked out, rubbing his eyes and blushing slightly and looked around. "Ms. Rabbit, next time you should warn me when you…" he began, blinking as if he had been drinking the night before. He looked up, the light still blinding slightly as he looked around, and his jaw dropped. Sheepishly, his cousin stood before him as she gave a slightly nervous wave in his direction, her eyes darting and fixing on a point just passed him. He looked down for a moment, as Cream walked over and hugged Ryuu's arm. She looked rather cross.
"You aren't going to say anything mean to her will you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Cream waited impatiently for an answer. From what she knew, Tails and Ryuu didn't get on so well. It was rather like a stiff politeness between them, because why would what family—the little Tails had left—would want to avoid him?
He shrugged slightly, as he looked up at his cousin again, this time trying to smile. "Well, Ryuu… it's been a while…" he said, placing a hand on the back of his head and laughing slightly in a rather nervous tone. He looked up at Ryuu, receiving no response; he dared to continue on with his greeting, while toying with the idea that maybe he should just leave. "I-uh, well, have been rather worried. Sonic isn't happy that I have been hiding my real reason for not fixing the Tornado to fly to Emerald City to check on the new resting place for the Emeralds…"
Ryuu looked at her cousin instantly. She hated the Emeralds. They were the reason her condition had advanced so quickly. She scoffed, looking away from him. "Curse the Emeralds, Cousin, and all that they stand for. Had they never been created, we would have never had any problems in the first place with that freaking human called Eggman. Better if they were destroyed."
Tails was taken aback by her sudden fierceness that his eyes widened. He then shook his head and backed away to the door and opened it. "Thanks for the insight. Sonic was right: you would only be distant again. Get a grip, Ryuu. The world isn't such a bad place."
Ryuu was read with a counter. "Oh shut up! At least you can walk around in the sun. I have to stay clear from it at all times. Do me a favor and get the fuck out of here!" she cursed. Ryuu watched as her cousin flinched at her retort, opened his mouth to respond but ended up closing it and backed out and closing the door behind him with is ears back. She could hear sniffles outside the door as the doctor came in, looking cheerful and calling forth Ryuu to be looked at.