Vanilla The Rabbit, after a lot of homework, finally allows herself a break and reads a magazine in her rocking chair.
Suddenly, Cream The Rabbit, her 6 year old daughter, touches her arm.
"Daughter?"
Saying nothing, Cream climbs into her mother's lap and kisses her chin.
"SMAC!"
Vanilla smiles and kisses her daughter's nose.
"SMAC!"

Cream sits on her lap and plays with the tie around her mother's neck, pulling her back and forth.
"Say, daughter, what is worrying you?"
"Mommy, can I ask you something...indiscreet?"
"Well, depends."
"I know you will never lie to me, whatever the subject. You already told me that it's not the storks that bring the babies."
"Of course, cutie."
"So tell me: I never understood this very well... But what are the clothes for?"

"Well, daughter, isn't it obvious? Clothes are used to protect us from the cold and not to get hurt in the forest. And plus to making people prettier."
"Yes, I already know, but... Why do we wear clothes?"
"We who?"
"You know… Mr. Sonic, Tails, Shadow, Knuckles and the other males only wear shoes and gloves. And Miss Amy, Blaze, Tangle and the other females are always wearing clothes. Besides you and me."
"And that's bad?"
"No, not exactly bad, but... Why do we Mobian females always wear clothes?"
"I don't know, daughter. Maybe for everyone to know we're women. He he he he..."
"It's not funny," complains Cream.

Vanilla takes off her glove, licks her right hand and smoothes her daughter's disheveled forelock:
"Besides, cutie, maybe the clothes prevent men from looking malicious at us."
"But I always see Tails without clothes, and I've never felt anything for him but friendship. As a matter of fact, I'm more attracted to Charmy Bee, and he's always dressed."
"Uhm, yeah..."
"And I always see you taking shower or changing clothes, and I never felt anything for you either."
"Great, daughter. And better stay that way." And Vanilla, now very serious, puts her daughter down.
"But I'm not done yet..."

Vanilla cuts off the talk:
"See well, daughter, do you feel unhappy the way you are?"
"Not. I don't think so."
"If you are already satisfied with what you have, there's no reason to change what is established. And now go play outside, go. Much better than philosophizing about nothing."
"But… Huh… Okay. I'm going to find someone for ice cream."
"OK. But come back early."
"Yes Mom."
"And don't talk to strangers."

Afternoon falls in the village.
While she went looking for any friend, Cream goes thinking - and muttering - about her mother's words.
"My mother is such a conformist... If everything's ok, she doesn't see any reason to change... That's why she doesn't go out with us to face Eggman... She doesn't like adventure, emotion... But there must always be something else we can do... Something new to discover... explore... and add to our life... making it more joyful... colorful... But my mother is so resigned and... ."
TUMP!

Cream bumps on a young chipmunk.
"Oh, sorry, Miss. I was so distracted... and..."
"Cream?"
The bunny's eyes sparkle and her ears pop out.
"SALLY?!"
It's Sally Acorn, princess of the Acorn Kingdom, passing through Sonic's country.
Cream would certainly like to be like her.
The girl tilts her head and tugs at the ends of her dress.

"He he... No need, bunny. I'm as mobian as you."
"What is a noble princess doing here, on this iridescent and monotonous afternoon?"
"I came to visit Sonic, Amy and some other friends. But now I have little time left. And you, what were you doing?"
"Looking for someone to get ice cream with me."
"Oh, what a coincidence. Exactly what I was thinking of doing."
"I can't believe it," says Cream maliciously, crossing her arms.
"He he he... What flavor, furry?"

With their ice cream balls in hand, Sally and Cream are not shy about sitting on the grass in the square to talk better.
"Princess Sally, may I make a private observation?"
"Of course, Cream. And just call me Sally. Or sugar, like Bunnie Rabbot does."
"You are very beautiful. And you has a wonderful body. I wanted to be like you. In all senses."
"Oh, Cream, you make me shy. But I already have girlfriend."
"Very funny. But I'm serious."
"Actually, I don't think I'm that pretty."
"So why do you only wear a vest and boots?"
"Because I like. I prefer that way. Each one with their own fashion."
"But do you think it's safe?"

Sally suddenly turns her head to Cream.
"Hey bunny, whatever we talk about alone, you're going to tell your Mom, aren't you?"
"I will."
"If you killed a dog, would you also tell her?"
Cream feels a tightness in her throat.
"Yes, of course. But I would never kill a living being."
"Much better. Excuse me." Sally smiles grimly. "So, since your mother will know everything anyway, can I make a very indiscreet remark to you?"
"You can."

Sally puts her face close to Cream's right ear and the two start to talk softly.
"Have you ever watched humans move from Earth and come to live here, on Planet Mobius?"
"Yes. I have a lot of human friends."
"Excellent. And you noticed that they always wear clothes, didn't you?"
"Yes. But why?"
"Because human beings have breasts and butts, and they need to protect the 'hidden treasure' they possess."
"I understand."
"But we Mobian males and fenales don't have breasts nor butts. Our body is smooth, flat, without curves or bumps. We have nothing to hide. So for us, the clothes are just a detail."
"Makes sense. But then why do Miss Amy and our other female friends wear clothes?"

"Well, there are at least 3 reasons. The first is of an aesthetic nature. We women are very fond of beauty and color. So the clothes also bring that. The second reason is that clothes serve as an external message. They say a lot about who we are, our personality. And the third..."
"Yes, the third..."
"For many centuries, Mobian women were restricted in what they could do. They couldn't build a career, explore nature, travel the world, venture out... Anyway, have the freedom that men have always had. There have been many exceptions in History, of course. But in general, the Mobian woman had no right to be self-sufficient. And the use of clothes or not also symbolized that: freedom."
"But today, women's lives are much better. You, for example."
"Truth. But the marks on society remain. And don't disappear easily."

Cream finishes her ice cream and starts eating the chocolate cup.
"He he…I never imagined a cup could be eatable," observes Sally, as she devours her cup as well.
Cream finishes its tasting and moves to another side of the subject:
"But what about my Mom, Sally? How do I convince her?"
"Convince of what?"
"Oh, that she can change, be different, less resigned, more conquering..."
"Cream, what do you really want?"
"Ah I don't know. It's all kind of confusing... But I wanted to make it clear to my Mom that I'm not a helpless bunny. And that I can also be powerful like you."

Sally thinks for a moment.
Finally, she declares:
"See, my rabbit, I'm going to be serious... Don't think I'm more right than your Mother."
"Of course not."
"Your Mother is your Mother, and you owe her more loyalty than you do to me or any of your friends."
"Yes."
"So talk to your Mother, tell her everything I've told you, try to negotiate with her... But don't go to war with her."
"Not." Cream shakes her head.
"If you want to do anything and she says no… She can be right or wrong… But you must obey her. Your Mother and Father - for those who have a Father - will always know what's best for you. Maybe you want something that can do you a lot of good in the future... but that in the present moment is not suitable. It's necessary give time to the time. If your Mom doesn't want you to do something, you'll still have plenty of time to assess whether or not it works for you. For now, just trust your Mother... and move on."
"Nice words," says Cream, with all sincerity.

The two are silent and stare at each other for a few seconds.
"Go, sit here on my lap," Sally invites her. "Give me a taste of being your Mother for a few minutes too."
"YAY!" Cream doesn't hesitate and climbs on her friend's legs.

The two, sitting on the grass, silently watch the red sunset between the city's skyscrapers.
Cream leans her head on Sally's chest and again praises her:
"You have such soft fur..."
"Thanks."
"Almost as soft as my mother's."

Minutes later...

Sally announces:
"It was great, but I need to go."
"Oh, pity," Cream laments. "When are you coming back?"
"Can't guarantee. The tasks of royalty await me."
"I understand."
"But we can always talk for a live."
"Yeah. But it's not the same."
"Well, we can take a selfie." Sally pulls out the smartphone.
"Nice!"
"So let's go. SMILE!"
FLASH!
"And now? Funny kiss?"
"YES!" Cream gets carried away.

Sally kneels down and give 3 kisses to her little friend: left cheek, right cheek and nose.
"My turn!"
Cream kisses her big friend: left cheek, right cheek and nose.

Sally has an idea:
"I already know! So you don't miss me so much..."
The princess takes off her blue vest.
"Take it."
"For me?"
"Yes. Go home with it. It's a gift."
"Oh, thank you so much." Cream picks up her vest. "Although your boots are prettier…"
"My boots?"
Sally scratches her chin and doesn't hesitate.
She takes off her blue boots.

"Stay with them too."
"Oh, Sally, what's this?" Cream gasps.
"You deserve. You're a great friend."
"And how will you stay?"
"Don't worry. I have several clothes there in the palace."
Cream has another idea:
"Well, I think we should make it fair."
She unties her blue tie around her neck.
"Take it."
"Oh, okay then." Sally doesn't waste time and already ties the tie around her neck. "How did I get?"
"It's great," Cream praises her.
"So see you, bunny. Until later."
"BYE BYE!"
"BYE!"

Cream watches Sally walk until she disappears into the back of the square.
"Thanks friend."
The bunny puts the blue vest over her orange dress.
Then she puts on the huge blue boots.
"It's kind of hard to walk like this, but just a little bit of getting used to. And now, direct home!"

That night, Cream introduces her Mother to Sally's gifted clothes.
The two talk a lot at dinner.
Cream doesn't hide a word pf Sally.
Vanilla makes it clear that she doesn't agree with Sally at all, especially about female oppression throughout History.
But in the end, Vanilla respects Sally's point of view and asks:
"And you, daughter? What do you want to do about it?"
"Still not sure, Mom. But anyway, I won't do anything without your approval."
"Excellent."

The next day, as she gets out of bed, Cream is determined to take a big step.
Something she's never done before.
"Mom will be scared by what I'm going to do, but it will be worth it..."

After bath and breakfast, Vanilla announces:
"Get ready. We go to the mall."
"YAY!" Cream celebrates, for liking the mall and also for being her great time to get in on the action!

After a few minutes, Vanilla becomes impatient.
"Come on, Cream!"
"Calm down, Mom, I'm already here." Cream appears, in her usual outfit. "But the problem is, I'm not ready yet."
"And what remains to be done?" Vanilla doesn't understand.

"THIS!" Cream unties her black tie (she has ties of different colors) and deposits it on the floor.
Then she does the same with her orange dress.
"READY!" Cream raises her arms in triumph. She's just wearing shoes and gloves.
"CREAM! But what is this?!" Vanilla is amazed.
"I'm ready to go to the mall now."
"But you're not thinking I'm going to buy you new clothes, are you?"
"Of course not, Mom. This is my 'Sonic Style'!"
"'Sonic Style'?" Vanilla puts a hand to her chin.
"Come on, Mom. Mr. Sonic and Tails are Mobians, they don't wear any clothes and they have nothing to hide. I'm also a mobian and, that way, I have nothing compromising to hide. So why can't I dress like them?"

Vanilla scratches her head.
"Do you really want to do this? Nobody challenged you or anything?"
"No way, Mom. It's 100% my initiative."
"Then let's go to the mall to test it. Then you can see if you prefer to continue like this or not."
"Beauty!"

Later, Cream introduces herself to her friends Amy Rose and Honey The Cat, who are chatting quietly in the green valley of Amy's house.
"Hey girls, how are you?"
Amy and Honey are startled, interrupting the conversation.
"Cream? What happened to you?" asks Amy.
"Nothing. Any problems with my particular fashion?"
"The problem is, you're not wearing any fashion at all," notes Honey.
"Who said?" Cream climbs on a barrel and stands on top of it to keep up with her friends. "You feel good about your style. I'm also very comfortable with my style. And as long as I'm comfortable with it and don't offend anyone... I'll stay that way. Why not?"
Amy and Honey say nothing.

But Vanilla suddenly appears.
"I'm with you, darling."
"Mommy?!" Cream turns her head, startled. "Did you follow me all the time?"
"I'll always be by your side, bunny," says Vanilla, hugging her daughter.
"And so do I," Cream reaffirms, smiling, still standing on the barrel. "But I'm not giving up the clothes. I will continue to alternate between the two modes."
"As you wish."
Amy and Honey start to applaud.
Honey whispers to Amy:
"It doesn't make a lot of sense, but I will respect her."
"It's her will. Do what?" Amy opines.

That night, Vanilla, in a green robe, enter the room of Cream, who is already lying face down. Naked and without a sheet.
"Are you sleeping, daughter?"
"Not yet."
"You have a cute tail."
Cream is surprised, lies on her back and covers herself with the sheet.
"Don't worry," Vanilla recalls, smiling. "You don't have nothing to hide, remember?"
"Nothing..."

Vanilla doesn't care to turn on the lamp.
With only light from the door open, the mother sits up in bed.
"Today I have a different story to tell. I'll be very short."
"Tell me, Mom." Cream gets carried away.

"Once upon a time there was a sweet eared bunny who played with her friends and her pet Chao. She wanted so much to live her adventures, to be in danger, to feel the adrenaline in her veins... But her parents always repressed her. They wanted her to study to be a great housewife. Until one day, she rebelled and ran away from home. And she paid dearly for it. THE END!"

At the end of the story, Cream wrinkles her forehead and is perplexed.
Vanilla asks:
"What's this bunny's name?"
"Cream?"
"Vanilla."

...

"YOU?!" Cream is really shocked.
Vanilla vents:
"Daughter, I was like you too. I really wanted to have the life you have now with Sonic, but my parents never allowed it. They had other plans for me. I, young idiot that I was, thought I just got rid of my parents and everything would work out. Unfortunately, I was wrong. And I paid a very expensive price."
"I'm sorry, Mom…" Cream makes her 'puppy unloving' look.
Vanilla leans over the bunny:
"Well, daughter, don't worry about Mommy, no. I will always be with you and I won't repress you from dreaming and having your own life. But take it easy. Step on the brake from time to time."
"OK, Mom. I can step on the brakes to avoid stepping on your foot."
The two laugh.
"Good girl." Vanilla kisses her daughter's right cheek. "SMAC!"

The mother gets up and starts to leave the room.
"Hey, Mom! I'm not that expensive price you paid, am I?"
"Of course not, daughter. Never think such a thing. I love being a mother. And I love you so much."
"I love you too, Mom. More than anyone."
"Thanks. Good night."
"Good."
Vanilla closes the door.
BLAM!

Cream gets rid of the sheet and go back to lie face down.
She lets go of bad thoughts and sleeps smiling.

Meanwhile, Vanilla, still in her robe, crosses the room and heads for the front door.
After leaving the house, Vanilla walks barefoot to the river that runs not far from there.
Full moon.
Fresh breeze.
Silent birds.
Nobody around.

When she stops in front of the river, Vanilla watches him for a few minutes.
The waters follow their course normally.
No barriers.
Running free.
Totally free.

Vanilla smiles and unties her robe.
And she jumps over the river, naked in the fur!
SPLASH!
She floats on the water, totally at ease.
"I feel so guilty. I bathe naked in the river every night... And Cream never knew about it. Tomorrow I'll bring her."
The matriarch dips her head into the water.
"But... Why wait?"

Wasting no time, she leaves the river and runs naked and wet through the valley.
Toward her house.
"CREAM! HEY CREAM!"

THE END!