Episode 10: Cream the Rabbit Wants to Live in Peace
In her room, Cream was reading a book that she had read when she was child. She didn't remember that she had read it before, but Maria told her to read it, because, that's the book where she got her new name. It was like Cream could hear dolphin whistles and squeaks as she read the book about how a girl named Maria wanted to ride on a dolphin named Robotnik's back. "When Maria-chan met Robotnik-san the dolphin, she asked him to carry her on his back." Cream read aloud, "Okay, but in return, I'd like you to do me a favor, too," answered Robotnik-san to Maria-chan." It's true, when you put the names together, you get Maria Robotnik." Cream stated, "You really did get your name from a picture book, didn't you?" she asked, turning to Maria. Only, she was sleeping. Maria was hovering above Cream's bed, sleeping with the stuffed souvenir seal that Shadow bought her at the aquarium. "Look at you, all fast asleep." Cream sighed. The only response she got was more of the blonde's peaceful breathing. "You know, I only read it because you told me to…" the orange-brunette continued even though she knew Maria wasn't going to respond. "Look at you fast asleep… What a strange ghost." she sighed. All of this made questions whir up inside of Cream's head; but one question was stuck in the middle of all of it: "Honestly, Maria… Who are you, and where did you come from?"
Later…
Maria was awake. A plane whizzed by. In her room, Cream had pulled down her skirt and underwear, she was looking at the chastity belt. "Hey, Maria?" she asked. "Hm?" Maria was floating on her back, reading a manga called "My Little Monster". "Couldn't you have done something about the design?" Cream asked. "Of the chastity belt?" Maria asked. Cream groaned slightly. "What else would I be talking about?!" she snapped. "You're bringing this up now?" Maria wondered, turning the page, "What's wrong with it? It's not like anyone sees it." she added. "But people have seen it!" Cream retorted. She then blushed and changed her voice to a low whisper. "Like… him…" she said, referring to certain ebony hedgehog. Memories of Shadow seeing her in the chastity belt flashed through her head.
"I'll bet he thinks of me as the girl who wears weird panties…" Cream said, pulling up her yellow skirt and fastening it. "Maybe…" Maria said, still fixated on her manga, "But it'll be fine." she added. "Just tell him it's the in-thing, and that'll get you around it."
"No it won't!"
"It's fine, honest." Maria continued, "You've managed to get by so far, right? Cream, you're always overthinking things." she pointed out, turning the page again. She then laughed because something funny happened in her manga. Cream glared at Maria. "I'm not getting by." she said in a venomous tone, "I've been through all kinds of humiliation." she added. "You're the one who's not giving it enough thought!" she turned her head away in a snarky manner. "You're just brushing everything off like that!" she added. Maria's smile faded. She sat up to face the orange-brunette. "It's not that I'm brushing it off…' the blonde angel said. "And you're just as bad when it come to your own circumstances." Cream continued, "How can you be alright with forgetting everything from before you died, including your memories of the person you love? It's not right." Maria's eyes narrowed. "I'm not alright. Not at all." she whispered. "Then, shouldn't you try to put more effort into trying to remember?!" Cream asked in a snap, "You float around day, after day, with nothing but dirty thoughts on your mind! You're not taking it seriously at all!" she added, flinching. Maria was feeling hot under the collar now; she gripped her manga which was still in her hand. "Then, what are you suggesting I do?" the blonde hedgehog girl asked, "I can't help it. I really DON'T remember." she whispered. Cream gasped a little and looked up at the floating hedgehog girl. "Maria?" The blonde continued, sounding like she was about to cry. "It'd be easy if I could remember just by putting in the effort. Besides, it doesn't matter how much I remember, because…"
"I'M ALREADY DEAD ANYWAY!~"
She tossed the manga at Cream, who deflected it with her arm. "Cream, you jerk!" she heard Maria cry. Cream took her arm away from her face and opened her eyes. "Jeez, Maria! What are you doing-?" Maria wasn't there! "Huh?" Maria was gone! Cream looked left and right. "Maria?"
Cream decided to check outside for her. She went out of the deck outside her room. "Maria?" she called. Then, she heard something crumpling. No, she heard some paper! She looked up and saw a small piece of paper falling downwards to her. She thought it might've been for her, so, she grabbed as soon as it came into range. Looking at it, this is what it said:
To Cream and her pea-sized breasts! Flatchest! Washboard! I'm leaving!
And there was a little doodle of Maria's face sticking out her tongue at her. Cream was angry now! "What's this?! That has nothing to do with anything!" the rabbit snapped, "Just do anything you want, jerk!"She went back inside, slamming the sliding glass door behind her.
With Maria gone, the day just went on as if nothing happened. Cream was a little relieved to finally have some time to herself without Maria constantly bugging her about being lovey-dovey with Shadow. Soon, Rouge came over with cake. "These are for you." she said holding up the bag. "Hello, Rouge-san." Cream greeted happily, standing on the stairs, and Rouge greeted her back. "Wow! Castella cakes from Doraya?" she asked in happiness. Cream loved cake a lot! "Yeah, they're presents from my grandfather. He said to give them to you guys." Rouge explained. "You're grandfather? The one from the shrine?" Shadow asked, and Rouge nodded and said yes. "He said he'll be staying with us for awhile." Rouge added to the nod. Shadow gave the bag to Cream. "Thank you," Cream said to the busty bat, with a bow. "You're welcome," she replied cheerfully. Shadow looked up at the ceiling. "That takes me back," he sighed, "How many years has it been since I've seen him?" Rouge thought about it. "It's been quite a while." she said. Cream walked away with the bag with a smile on her face. "We should eat these together, Mari-" but she paused when she remembered. 'Oh, right. She isn't here.' Cream thought, hanging her head sadly, 'Habits are scary.'
"Huh? She's not here today?"
Cream gasped and looked over at Rouge after hearing her say that. Was she talking about Maria? Did she know about her? "Huh? You mean Fiona-san?" Shadow inquired, "She's working all weekend." he said. "Oh, I see." Rouge said, "Well, I'll be heading home now. Shad-kun, you should drop by and see my grandfather sometime soon." she suggested. "Okay," the ebony male replied. Cream closed her eyes and sighed in relief. 'Oh... I thought she was talking about Maria.' she thought.
Later that Afternoon…
Cream was up in her room, eating one of the castella cakes and reading the manga Maria was reading earlier. She was also smiling and feeling very happy. Since Maria was gone, she had had time to herself. It was almost like she had a normal life again. She lifted her arms up and stretched happily. "Ah!~ This is life." she sighed, sitting back. "What a sense of release! The freedom of not being tied down by anyone!" Cream took a drink of her milk. "This is true happiness." she continued to praise the Lord for her freedom. 'How many months has it been since I had time to myself?' she asked herself, drinking more of her milk, 'Ever since she showed up, I've had to spend every day with her.' As she drank the last of her milk, she briefly thought of what Maria said when she left.
"CREAM, YOU JERK!"
Cream was silent for a moment and started to feel something egging at her heart. "Maybe, I went too far…" she whispered. She picked up Maria's note and read it again, starting to feel bad. Then, she just smacked it down on the desk and glared. "No! Sometimes it's better to tell it like it is!" She picked up her fork and started eating her cake again.
That Evening…
Shadow stood at the foot of the stairs. "Cream, dinner's ready!" he called upstairs. He didn't get an answer. "Hey!" he called again. Cream had been napping with her head down on her desk, and only now just woke up. "Food's ready!" Shadow continued to call upstairs. Cream turned around in her seat. "Dinnertime, Maria…" she started to say, but then she remembered. Cream turned back to the note and flipped it over. Then, she left her room.
"Cream?" Shadow continued to call. "Keep it down…" a voice said, surprising Shadow. He saw Cream coming down the stairs. "You don't need to keep calling for me, I'm not deaf." she droned, walking past him to the kitchen.
In the dining room…
Shadow had made breakfast foods for dinner. He made sweet fried eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Both he and Cream were sitting at the table across from each other. "Fiona-san's late again today." Shadow pointed out, "It must be tough out there in the real world." Cream didn't reply, she just put her hands together and said, "Let's eat." in her usual sour tone. Shadow looked at her curiously. 'What's with her?' he asked himself, 'She seems upset about something.' Cream continued to start eating. 'I can't believe Maria's not back for dinner…' she thought, popping an egg in her mouth. 'She's so stubborn!' she flinched. "What's wrong?" a voice asked, breaking Cream out of her state of thought. She looked over at Shadow who had noticed her flinch. "Does it taste funny or something?" the ebony hedgehog inquired. Cream exclaimed slightly. "It actually tastes good." the cream-coloured rabbit replied. "I see," Shadow said, "That's good." he added cheerfully, smiling pleasantly. Cream gasped and blushed at his reaction. 'Huh? That's strange…' Cream thought, looking down. 'Maria's not even here…' Just to distract herself, Cream popped another egg in her mouth and noticed the different taste. 'These are the sweet fried eggs Maria loves.' she thought. 'I like mine a little less sweet,' Cream thought as she remembered a time when she let Maria posses her and eat her dinner, 'but since Maria started wolfing all of them down, I've kind of grown to like them myself.' Cream smiled nervously. 'Come to think of it, I haven't minded sports so much, either, since Maria showed up.' Memories of Maria helping her with sports flashed through her head. 'Plus, I've gotten a lot better at talking to him too.' she looked over at Shadow.
Suddenly, her heart started beating and throbbing. Cream sighed, set her silverware down, and placed a hand to her heart. 'Again?' she wondered, flinching and screwing her eyes shut, 'Why is my heart throbbing for him when Maria's not even here?!' she shook her head, trying to stay calm.
She reached for the salt when she suddenly felt Shadow's hand touch hers. Both step-siblings gasped and pulled their hands away, blushing. "Oh, sorry!" Shadow quickly exclaimed. "You can use it first." the ebony male said. Cream didn't answer. Then, the orange-brunnette girl dropped her head onto the table and started panting and shaking. "Cream? What's wrong?" Shadow asked in worry. 'What is this?' Cream wondered, her heart beating fast, "I barely touched him, and yet it feels so sensible.' Shadow was getting really worried now! He rushed over to Cream's side and started rubbing her back. "Did you get something caught in your throat?!" he asked, "Hey, are you alright?" Shadow's warm hand rubbing against her back only made the feeling in her heart more intense. 'N-No!' she thought, unable to speak, 'Don't touch me!' Cream started moaning, frightening Shadow. "Cream?!" he said in worry, accidentally knocking over the chair. "Hang on! I'll fix you up right away!" Shadow assured her, picking her up by her waist. Cream blushed and started struggling. Then, he started thrusting around her stomach. "Just a little more! Hang in there, cream!" he said. These phrases sounded all too wrong to Cream, and these movements and gestures. 'Don't…' Cream thought, getting tears in her eyes, '...touch me!~' she cried out in ecstasy as she released. *Fill* the gauge was now almost complete. (A/N: Shadow was giving her the Heimlich Maneuver, just in case you didn't know.)
Cream dropped on the table with a blush still on her face and she started coughing. "Oh, did that clear it up?" Shadow asked. "Hey, are you alright?" Cream's face turned angry as she turned to face Shadow. "O-Of course I'm not alright!" she snapped, smacking him in the face, leaving a visible red mark on his left cheek. Shadow was shocked and lost for words as he place a hand to his cheek. Cream stomped away and turned to face him. "Don't touch me, pervert! Jerk! Freak!" Shadow was confused. "P-Pervert? I was giving you the Heimlich..." Cream, however, didn't listen. She left the dining room and went for the bathroom. "Hey!" Shadow said, following her. Cream slammed the door and locked it. "Oh, she had to go… No wonder she was mad."
In the bathroom…
Cream was leaning against the door and panting, trying to stop blushing. "How can he play dumb like that?" she wondered, looking up. 'But, why is this happening?' the rabbit wondered, 'Maria's not even around, and my heart is still throbbing for him…' she blushed and looked down with a wary face. 'It's almost… like I'm…' Then she started shaking her head in denial. 'Wait! No! No!' She lifted up the toilet lid. "Honestly," she sighed, sitting down. 'Where did Maria go?' she wondered. She was about the press the gauge on the chastity belt, when she noticed something different. She stood up and lifted up her skirt, and was shocked to see that the belt was no longer there! Her big brown eyes shrunk slightly, her mouth gaped and she was at a loss for words. 'The chastity belt is gone?'
Cream was still in awe that the belt was now gone. "I can't believe the belt is gone…" she whispered, "I'm sure it was there a minute ago. Where did it go?" Just then, a thought occurred to her: Maybe it left because Maria… "Don't tell me Maria-!"
She opened the bathroom door, rushed out, ran upstairs like lightning and shut her door. Shadow was in the kitchen washing the dinner dishes when he heard the door slam. He figured Cream must've gone back upstairs. He continued to wash the dishes, but then heard the door open and close again. Then, he heard the front door open and close! Cream ran out of the house with a jacket now on, ran out the gate, closed it, and started running down the street. She had to find Maria!
Meanwhile, Shadow decided to investigate and opened the front door. He looked left and right. "Cream?"
At the Store…
People were shopping, a Christmas tree was up, and Cream was in the store looking for Maria. So far, she had no luck. She saw a little girl with blonde hair and a blue headband, but she was too small to be Maria. Then she heard a little boy's voice. "Mommy! Mommy! Look up there! Lots of pretty angels!" a small bee named Charmy was pointing to sign. "Oh, right. They look so pretty, flying around." his mom agreed. One of the angels on the sign looked like Maria; same hair colour and style, same blue eyes, same dress and wings. Cream sighed in guilt.
After checking the store, she left to go look elsewhere. She was running as fast as she could, but when she came to an intersection, was out of breath. She looked around, but couldn't see her anywhere. She decided to go left in the intersection, and started running again. Suddenly, she fell forwards, scraping her knee. "Ow…" she shuddered. sitting up. Blood started leaking through her high socks. What could she do?
She found the nearest place to search: A park. She ignored the searing pain in her cut knee. The wings were creaking, a street lamp was on, and she was staring at it for no apparent reason. "Maria!" she called to it, but got no reply. "Maria, come out already!" she pleaded, but still got no response. 'She wasn't outside our house, either.' Cream thought, 'Maybe…' she remembered the steps and how close they were to the gate. 'The steps were close to the gate. Just now, when I felt it more strongly than usual, maybe the gauge filled up and she crossed over already?' she wondered. She flinched and felt like she was gonna cry.
"Cream!"
The rabbit girl gasped and looked behind her. She saw Shadow there wearing his winter coat. "I've been looking for you!" he panted, "Where have you been? It's already past eight." he approached her. "Nowhere…" Cream whispered, "Just an after-dinner marathon." she lied. "A marathon?" Shadow asked questioningly, "Dressed like that?" Cream screwed her eyes shut in embarrassment. "It's my choice what I wear." she replied bitterly. Shadow didn't reply. Then, he noticed red on her leg. "Hey, your leg is scraped." he said. "What happened?" he asked her. "I'm fine, so leave me alone." she replied bitterly, trying to walk away. Shadow wasn't letting her! He halted her and turned her around towards him. "How could I leave someone who goes staggering out of the house at this hour?" Cream didn't reply. She looked up at him with big eyes that had tears in them. They rolled down her cheeks. "What? Did I say something to make you cry?" Shadow asked, worried. Cream hung her head and started to sob.
Soon, Cream was sitting on a park bench with a Band-Aid on her knee. Shadow was getting something to drink from a vending machine. Cream had explained the real reason why she was out and about. "I see," Shadow said, throwing the can of soda away, "So, you're out looking for the friend you had a fight with?" Cream silently nodded. "She hasn't come back since-I mean, gone home yet." she explained. "I see… So, that's why you looked upset." Shadow concluded, standing in front of her. "I wasn't upset or anything…" she said, even though, deep down, she knew she was lying. "She must've crossed over already…" Cream said, her voice breaking off. "Crossed over?!" Shadow repeated, taken aback, "That's way to big a leap!" Shadow rubbed his head in thought.
After a long period of silence, he got an idea. "Okay then," he said, "I'll look too. Let's split up." Cream sighed. "You won't be able to find her…" she said. "Oh don't worry," Shadow assured her, waving his hand. "It's that girl that comes over every day, right?" he asked his stepsister. Cream jolted slightly. "Huh?" she asked. "You know, the cosplayer with the blue headband and matching dress." Cream looked up at Shadow with wide eyes. "So, you can see her?" she asked in astonishment. "Huh? It's not her?" Shadow asked. Cream shifted her brown eyes to the right. "It is, but…" she paused. ' Doesn't he find it the least bit strange?' Shadow reached into his pocket and pulled out his iPhone 5. "Okay then, let's set a time." he said, "An hour from now. At 9:30, we'll take a break, even if we haven't found her, we'll meet back at home. Sound good?" Cream stood up. "Yeah," she replied quietly. "Does that girl live in this area?" Shadow asked. "Um…" Cream wasn't sure what to tell him, "Kinda…" she lied. "Okay, then we'll search around here. What's her name?" Cream turned her head and was silent for a moment. However, she then replied, "Maria," in a quiet tone. "Maria-chan? Got it!" Shadow said, starting to run out looking. "H-Hey, hold on a second!" Cream called, making Shadow halt and turn towards her. "Just forget it. You don't have to do this." the orange-brunette said, "This is a problem between me and her." Shadow stared at his stepsibling for a moment, then smiled. "Look," he said to her, "If that's how you felt, then you shouldn't have told me about it."
"Th-That's because you chased after me…"
Shadow continued to smile warmly at her. "Well, you need to find her, don't you?" Shadow asked. Cream didn't reply. "It's okay," Shadow assured her, "You don't need to hold back." Cream lifted her head up to look at her older stepsibling. "After all…" Shadow said, rubbing his cheek with his index finger, "I'm your older brother." Cream was speechless and she placed a hand to her heart. "That girl's precious to you, isn't she?" Cream couldn't find the words to say to Shadow at this point. Even after all they've been through, he's still so kind to her. "Well, when it's time, make sure you go back home." Shadow instructed her, running off.
After he left, Cream smiled. 'What's his deal, calling himself my brother?' she wondered, 'It's only been a few months since then." Cream looked up at the midnight blue sky. "See? Aren't you happy, Maria?" she asked, "He's out looking for you too."
Cream continued the search for Maria. She ran alongside the road leading to the intersection. 'If I'm asked whether she's precious to me… It's not like she means nothing to me, but I wouldn't call her precious.' Just then, she thought of a place where she might be. "Oh, right! The pedestrian bridge!" she exclaimed, starting to run for there. 'Yes… In all honesty, she's a real nuisance.' she thought as memories of her and Maria flashed through her head. Cream soon reached the pedestrian bridge and panted with her hands on her knees. 'But…' she looked up and saw only a light coming from a street lamp. She started walking up the steps. 'Why?' she thought, breaking off, 'You haven't gotten lovey-dovey with him, have you?' She stopped in her tracks and hung her head, starting to cry. "Don't just disappear on me!" she sobbed, "Honestly… you're so selfish." Cream couldn't hold her sadness in anymore.
"You could've at least said goodbye!"
She started wiping her tears away only to have more pour out. Unaware, a glowing blue feather hovered down in front of her. "Hey!~" a singsong voice surprised Cream and made her look up. Cream couldn't believe it! It was Maria! She was standing on the railing and her wings looked slightly bigger. "Cream, what are you doing here?~" Maria called out to her. Cream was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to feel; Relieved, Happy, Angry? Just then, Maria jumped up, started flying, and hovered down to the ground. Her beautiful white wings glistening in the lamp-light. Then, she set her right foot down on the ground, followed by her left. Her wings then shrunk down to their original size. Cream walked over to the blonde angel. "Where have you been all this time?!" she asked, slightly angry at her. "I ran away from home, remember?" Maria explained, facing away from her, her hands behind her back. "I couldn't just waltz back in." Cream stared at Maria for a while. Maria shifted her blue eyes back towards her. Cream gave off a relieved smile. "What? That's it?" she asked. "Huh? Then why did the chastity belt disappear?" she asked. Maria turned around. "Oh, that's right, Cream!" she exclaimed. "There!" she pointed a finger at Cream. She felt something wrap itself around her waist again and gasped in response. Maria giggled.
Cream found the nearest bathroom and rushed into it, Maria following closely behind. When Cream got a look at the new belt, boy was she surprised! It was even more revealing and perverted than the last one! "What… IS THIS?!" she snapped. (A/N: Pink text box time again!)
How can this be?! The chastity belt she was so unhappy with has turned into something even fatter and more XXX!
*The T-bar on the screen is not the chastity belt.
Cream's face a mixture of scared and embarrassed. "Right? Right? Isn't this great?" Maria asked in her usual, bubbly tone. She flew downwards the Cream's bared front and knocked on the metallic chastity belt. "Isn't the metallic look awesome?" she asked. "It's not awesome!" Cream snapped, knocking Maria back with her butt. "What is this thing?!" she asked Maria in an angry tone, pulling up her skirt. "What do you mean, "what?" Maria asked, flipping herself right-side up. "You said you didn't like the design of the chastity belt, so, I went back to the space between times and asked them to change it." the blonde hedgehog girl explained. ream exclaimed in understanding. "So, then the chastity belt disappeared because…" she whispered. "Oh, did it seem like it disappeared?" Maria asked, "They just recalled it for a short time to change the design." she explained, smiling in a happy tone. Cream shuddered and shaked in anger. "Huh? You don't like this design, either?" Maria asked, noticing Cream's reaction. "NO!" she spat back, flipping her head up. "I don't like the chastity belt, period! Hurry up and change it back! It was better before, at least!" Maria sighed and crossed her arms. "That's easier said than done…" she stated, Cream looked down slightly.
"It disappeared so suddenly… I thought you'd…" she paused to try and not break off, "Crossed over, already." Maria looked over at Cream and exclaimed quietly. "And it was after we fought, too…" Cream continued with tears in her eyes, "Don't scare me like that, jerk." she closed her eyes. Maria looked at Cream with her soft blue eyes, then she smiled and flew towards her. Cream heard her and opened her eyes. Maria wrapped her arms around Cream. "Sorry for making you worry." she apologized. Cream smiled at her friend and leaning her head towards her. "I went too far, too." the orange-brunette admitted, "I'm sorry."
Both girls decided it was time to go home now. Cream was walking and Maria was following closely behind. "You know, despite everything I said," Cream spoke up, "I wasn't really all that worried about you, you know?" she said. "Huh? Really?" Maria asked. "You were worried, weren't you?" Cream glared. "Was not." Maria smirked and flew beside her. "There you go again. You were, weren't you?" she asked playfully. Cream flinched. "Whatever!" she snapped, running ahead. "Jeez! Hey, Cream!" Maria called, flying after the rabbit girl.
Meanwhile… With Shadow…
Shadow was at the police officers' place. "Excuse me, I'm looking for someone." he said to the lady. "She has this blue headband, and little wings on her back." he explained. "Have you seen her?" he asked seriously, slamming his hands on the desk.
Meanwhile… At Home…
Cream and Maria were up in their room, and Cream was looking at the new chastity belt. "Maria, I know I've said it before…" she began, "It's that I didn't like the old design, but that just doesn't justify this!" she looked up at Maria who reading a manga, not listening. "Are you even listening?!" she asked in a snap, "Hurry up and change it back!" she commanded. "You keep saying that," Maria said, turning her head towards her, "but I can't just ask for favours all the time, you know. They even told me this was one exception." she explained. "I didn't ask you to change it!" Cream snapped. "It's fine." Maria said, setting the manga down and flying downwards. "Wearing panties will hide it." she said, starting to pull Cream's yellow underwear up. However, she was met with the fact that it was… "Huh? It sticks out a bit, doesn't it?" Maria pointed out. "Jeez! What am I going to do about this?!~" Cream cried out. Maria tried thinking about it, but couldn't come up with anything. "What are we gonna do?" she asked, smiling nervously.
The next day…
Cream stood with a bared front, looking at the chastity belt which was now back to how it was before. "There." Maria sighed, "I had them put it back to normal. No complaints now, right?" Cream smiled in relief. "Thank goodness." she said in a wary tone. "Say what you will, but you like that chastity belt, don't you?~" Maria asked with a smirk. Cream blushed a pink colour. "T-That's not true!" she snapped. "I don't like it all!~"
This was exhausting! I know it's been some time on this story, but now I'm gonna work on it until it's finished. This was episode 10, so, only 2 more episodes, the 2-part OVA, and deleted scenes to go.
R&R!