While Laura was crying on the bed, there was another knock.
"If it's father, go away!" She snapped-slash-chocked.
"Laura… it's me."
"Oh, mother..."
Laura unlocked her door and Tikal walked in. The young adult echidna plopped back onto the bed, and her mother sat down with her.
"M-mum…" She stuttered, "is there anything you can do?"
"Your dad has always been a stubborn one." She replied. "And his past has scarred him for life."
"Does that mean I won't see Rutan again?"
"Laura." Tikal said to her, "Listen very carefully. I may not be able to convince your dad Rutan is a good echidna. But maybe… someone else will."
"Who… what…"
"Just remember what I said, sweetheart. Let your heart be your guide."
Tikal then left the room.
Laura was quite confused by her mum's words, but, she wanted to see Rutan one last time. She sees a slight crack in the window. Determined, she opens it carefully and glides out, searching for Rutan.
She tracks the same path Rutan took while fleeing the Shrine, but cannot find him.
"Rutan?" She called when she got to the stream.
No reply.
The future guardian searched around briefly, then jumped on a rock to get a better view.
Nothing.
Laura then leaped into the water. She didn't care that her boots were getting soggy.
"Rutan?"
She looked at her reflection. A near perfect blend of both her parents. Her dad's red coat, her mother's white bangs on her dreadlocks, she even wore a similar tribal headpiece to her mother.
But, there was still no Rutan nearby.
Laura ventured to the cave where she and Rutan hid from the flickies and rhinos with their chase along with Tails and Sonic.
"Rutan…"
Just an empty cave. Laura ventured back out.
Meanwhile, Locke II, Pachacamac II, Gideon, Emma, Jani-Na and Jane, along with their friends, were looking for Rutan on their own. Fortunately, they had found his tracks and began to follow them.
"Listen, we have to approach slowly, because we may not be able to escape if his mother and tribe are nearby." The orange echidna advised.
"And we better not we all go up to him at once." The red echidna added, "Only a small group."
They all nodded.
They went on trial of footprints up behind a bush. Locke II, Pachacamac II, Rift, Jeremiah, Speed, Nick, Erick, Silver, Jewel, Boomer, Gadget, John, Scott, Lorraine and Mike approached, while the rest of the group stayed back.
The group thought they heard a sob as they approached. When they moved out of the bush, they saw Rutan crying.
A great sense of regret came into the four echidnas, three hedgehogs, the crocodile, the bat, the Walrus, the walynx, the squirrel, the monkey, the rabbit and the echidbee. They were supposed to be mobains who helped other mobains, but in this case had done the opposite and had caused someone harm.
"Hey, you okay?" The two future guardians asked.
He raised his head "What are you doing here?! I bet you've come to humiliate me more than they already did! Leave me alone. I want to be alone." He growled with hatred as he turned.
"Look, at first we thought we did the right thing to judge without knowing." Erick began.
"And know we know we're not." Sighed Speed.
"If you want to apologise, it's too late for that." Muttered the exiled echidna.
"I know it would be hard to forgive us…" Rift sighed.
"But you must come back with us." Locke II explained, "Laura is very sad when you were exiled and did not want to talk to anyone. Especially us."
"That's one of the reasons why we come to get you." Pachacamac II went on. "Because we now understand what you're truly like."
"And, I don't know how my father realized," Nick smiled, "but he somehow knew that you'd end up together."
"You two are perfect together." Added Silver.
"And you are a good friend after all." Jewel put in.
"Please come back." Chipped in Boomer.
"We'll treat you the way you are meant to be treated." This came from John and Scott.
"And make sure no one misjudges you again." Jeremiah added hopefully.
"We'll invite you to hang out with us." Put in Mike.
"Just trust us." Lorraine finished gently.
From afar, Amanda-Su, Henry, Bian-Ca, Jani-Lu, Matthew, Flora, Alex, Camilla, Casey, Susan, Stella, Melody, Gideon, Emma, Jani-Na and Jane watched the conversation. But they were too far away to hear it properly.
When things have settled down, the group saw that Rutan suddenly ran in the opposite direction to Angel Island.
Finally, the other returned to the rest of the group.
"What happened?" asked Flora.
"Where did he go?" Alex wondered.
"Well to summarize," Locke II began, "he decided to return. But when we went to meet up with you, we couldn't see Laura."
"She has escaped from Angel Island," Pachacamac II added, "but we don't know where she is."
"Then we have to look for her." Matthew declared.
"Don't worry," The red echidna advised, "Rutan will find her, then join us. He told us to wait here."
"Let's go, you guys." Stella urged. "We don't have time to lose."
"This way!" Cried Melody, and the group took off.
(Music time…)
Laura: In a perfect world
One we've never known
We would never need to face the world alone
They can have the world
We'll create our own
I may not be brave or strong or smart
But somewhere in my secret heart
{Laura looks up at the sky, seeing their rabbit and two lions in the sky, remembering}
I know
Love will find a way
Anywhere I go
I'm home
If you are there beside me
{She moves to a log overhanging the stream. She sits down on it, depressed. When she opens her eyes and peers at her reflection, she sees that it is, again, only half clear.}
Like dark turning into day
Somehow we'll come through
Now that I've found you
Love will find a way
{Laura is sitting on a high knoll, with her head bowed. Rutan, who was on a small hill, started approaching Lara-Su from behind her.}
Rutan: I was so afraid
Now I realize
Love is never wrong
And so it never dies
{Laura turns and notices Rutan.}
There's a perfect world
Shining in your eyes
Laura and Rutan: And if only they could feel it too
The happiness I feel with you
{They come together and nuzzle lovingly.}
They'd know
Love will find a way
Anywhere we go
We're home
If we are there together
Like dark turning into day
Somehow we'll come through
Now that I've found you
Love will find a way
I know love will find a way
(Song ends)
Two butterflies flutter around Rutan and Laura. Rutan brightens up at the sight of them, and laughing, rushes off after them, with Laura in pursuit. They wrestle briefly, then catch sight of themselves in a reflection.
"Hey, look..." Rutan smiled, "we are one."
Laura smiles back, then realizes what Rutan just said and looked shocked. "What?"
"Well, you better get back." Rutan said, "Your friends and your brothers are worried about you."
"For real? How do you know?"
"For they found me and asked me to return to you."
"And where are they? They did not come with you?"
"Because I asked them to come alone to get you. And because of how well they saw you and me acting together, they allowed me to."
"Well, if you say so."
"We should return to them. They must be worried."
"On one condition." she said.
"What's that?"
"Race you back!"
"Ready… set… go!"
They run off together, laughing.
What Rutan and Laura don't realise, was that Lien-Da and the Dark Legioners were on the attack, moving across the bridge to Angel Island.
Nothing will hold us back this time, Finitevus. Lien-Da thought to herself.