Cream flew up to Angel Island chasing Cheese, he had ran away, they were playing a game, chase, Cheese made excited animal noises as he flew away from his mistress, he was very gleeful, they were now near a the Master Emerald Shrine, Cheese turned around and poked his tongue out but during his lapse of concentration, flew right into a tree, the Chao let out an anguished cry, this made the Master Emerald glow for some reason, and also for some reason Knuckles was not present, there was a flash, a watery creature was standing there, he looked, at the injured Chao and the rabbit standing above it, he put two and two together and concluded that Cream hurt him, he jumped down and raised his fist, ready to strike, she dived and took a few steps back, he threw some attacks at her, one hit and she fell over backwards, he went to hit her again, but she jumped up, put her feet in front and flew at him, she and him collided, but it had no effect, she was bounced back, he then stretched his arm and struck her again, she hit the ground with a thud. She twitched but was unable to move "Ah! Help me.." she said as Chaos advanced towards her with hatred, he raised his fist to deliver the final blow to her, but it never came as Chaos disappeared in a flash of light, there stood a gentle looking peach colored echidna in his place "Please! Don't hurt me..." the echidna shook her head "I won't hurt you, by the way, my name is Tikal, and yours is?" Cream strained a bit "I'm Cream, please Miss Tikal, would you help my chao?" Tikal nodded, she then floated over to Cheese and picked him up as Cream fell unconscious.

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Cream woke up, she was next to the Master Emerald, with a blanket covering her up. She saw Knuckles sitting there. He then looked over to her "Morning, Cream." he said dryly "Excuse me, Knuckles, where is that lady?" Cream said, not able to recall any names "Tikal. She went in the forest to play with your Chao, Cheese." Cream nodded "Thank you, Knuckles." Cream ran off into the forest to look for them both, she looked around, the Mushroom Hill Area was spectacular, Cream looked around in awe "Amazing, isn't it?" Cream looked over to see a peachy echidna, she wore some jewellery, she had a gold headband with a blue jewel in the middle and some gold wristbands, and she wore an beautiful dress that seemed quite old "Hello, you must be Miss Tikal?" Cream half asked, half stated, the echidna nodded "Yes, I am Tikal, you are Cream, aren't you?" the Rabbit nodded "Your Chao, has been asking about you, Cream." the echidna stated, Cream gasped "You understand Chao language too?" Tikal nodded "What, you mean you can?" Cream nodded "Wow, two people with a shared ability, how strange, don't you think Cream?" Cream smiled "So where is Cheese, Tikal?" Tikal looked upward "There she is." Cheese floated down towards Cream and hugged her "Thank you for taking care of him, Tikal." she just smiled "That's okay, Cream." she went to walk away "Hey, um, Tikal." Tikal turned around with a smile "Yes?" Cream blushed a little "I would like to invite you to dinner at our house tonight, at 6. Tell Knuckles he is invited as well, ok? Bye Tikal!" Cream jumped into the air and flew off "Bye Cream, see you later tonight, ok?" Cream waved as her and Cheese disappeared out of sight.

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Tikal and Knuckles were gliding down from Angel Island, they landed in Station Square and began to walk around, she saw some shops, she made a mental note to look at them later, she arrived at the Rabbits residence, they knocked and Vanilla opened the door "Hello Knuckles, and you must be Tikal." she said as she welcomed them in "Yes, I'm glad to meet you, Mrs. Rabbit!" Vanilla went silent and she went into the kitchen "Did I say something wrong?" Knuckles nodded at her "She is widowed!" he whispered to her, she frowned "I didn't mean to..." Knuckles hugged her "I know you didn't." Vanilla came in with 6 plates, she set them down on table-mats with a one knife, two spoons and a fork, the dinner was for herself, Cream, Knuckles, Tikal, Cheese & Chocola "Cream, dear, dinner is ready!" Vanilla shouted up the stairs "Bring Cheese & Chocola down as well!" she said as she sat down to her plate of dinner, it was an Italian recipe of pasta with a creamy cheesy sauce on top, Vanilla began to eat her meal as the others started, Cream came down the stairs with her two chao in tow, she sat down next to Tikal, Cheese next to Vanilla and Chocola with Knuckles, they began to eat their dinner and eventually they had finished, Knuckles took his plate out as Cream invited Tikal upstairs, Knuckles sat on the sofa as Vanilla sat beside him "So, Knuckles, how are you?" Vanilla asked sincerely "Fine, you?" he replied, she simply nodded, he looked at her "You sure?" she was hesitant then she shook her head slowly "Why?" he asked "My husband died 3 years ago today." he looked a little sympathetic, she threw her arms around him and cried, he simply hugged her back as she continued to cry, she eventually pulled back and looked at him, they then pulled in and began to kiss each other sensually.

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Cream and Tikal were upstairs while Cheese and Chocola were in another room playing with their toys, Cream was showing all her stuff to Tikal, she shown her some dresses and her make-up as well as her video games, she had Metroid Prime, Soul Calibur and Starfox Adventures. Tikal smiled as she looked at all the stuff, it was fabulous, she wished she had stuff like this "Wow, Cream, this stuff is absolutely amazing." Cream smiled at her "You want to see the shops?" Tikal eagerly nodded "I would love to!" Cream walked downstairs and caught her mother and Knuckles making out still. Cream gasped, Knuckles looked up, he broke away, jumped from his seat, opened the window and disappeared.

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Cream looked at her mum, who had started to cry again. Her mother had told her not to worry and to go have fun, Cream was reluctant but ended up going out anyway, her and Tikal went to a clothes shop where Cream bought her a long blue dress, Tikal come out of the dressing room with her blue dress on "What do you think, Cream?" Cream gasped "Beautiful." she said, they noticed how close their faces were, they couldn't stop, their faces moved closer together and they kissed, Cream broke off and ran, Tikal was left shocked and not quite sure what had just happened.

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Knuckles was home finally, what had just happened? Him and Vanilla were talking, then hugging then kissing, and then he ended up here. How confusing this was, "Women." he said as he sat down on the shrine.

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Cream threw her front door open, ran up the stairs and jumped on her bed, she sat there and thought of what happened between her and Tikal and what she should do about it.

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Tikal was now in the park on her own, she sat alone on a bench to think about the incident between her and her new found friend Cream but she did not understand what that kiss was about but it seemed odd to her since she had not have seen such things or felt such things for the same sex since she was isolated almost all of her life she then contemplated what happened during the day "Lets see." she thought "What could of happened during the day to Cream to make her act this way." She thought and thought until she came to a conclusion, she then thought "She wants to be more then friends," then she thought to herself "She wants to be....." She then thought "My best friend, of course it all makes sense now." She then stood up and went to look for the doe and she thought the most likeliest place to find her would be her house.

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Cream was on her bed with her face in her pillow trying to think "Why did this happen to me, oh why please tell me why did I kiss her. am I really a person who falls in love with the same sex? I bet Tikal hates me now, I make a new friend and I screw it up." she thought. She felt really stupid that she did that how come she never felt like this with Amy, this made her feel more stupid since she could not come up with an answer, the only other question on her mind was what will she do now.

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Tikal made it to the Rabbit's house after running for a couple of minutes, the peach coloured echidna knocked on the door to be greeted by Vanilla "Oh hello Tikal. I did not expect you to be here." the widowed rabbit tried making small talk probably trying to not cry again which looked obvious in her eyes that were red Tikal then said "Can I come in please I need to talk to Cream." Tikal was trying to avoid making Vanilla cry, Vanilla then said "Well she is upstairs in her room it is the 2nd door on the left when you get upstairs." Tikal smiled and said "Thank you." Tikal went up the stairs and got to where Vanilla said where Cream's room should be and then she knocked on the bedroom door.

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The young doe heard the knocking on her door and she shouted "Leave me alone." she then heard a sweet voice saying "Cream are you alright can I come in we need to talk." Cream then thought "Great it is Tikal. She probably does not want to be my friend no more." she then said to Tikal "You can come in." Tikal opened the door to see Cream's face in the pillow she observed everything in the room it all looked the same but Cream seemed a bit sad since her face was in her pillow Cream showed her face to Tikal to show that she has been crying just a little, Tikal then asked "Are you alright?" Cream then said "No, do I look fine? I have no idea what to think of myself since what happened between me and you." Tikal then sat on the bed and said "Cream I understand what this whole thing is about and I want you to know I feel the same way as well." Cream thought she might have heard wrongly but she did not the peach coloured echidna did say it she said she felt the same way, Cream then asked "You mean you feel the same way as I do?" Tikal then smiled and said "Of course I do, we have become friends in just a day but now you want me to be your best friend." Cream looked very upset got up from her bed and said in a high tone "No, no, no, no, no that is not what that kiss meant." Tikal now looked confused as she said "What do you mean?" Cream looked at Tikal and replied while Cheese and Chocola left the room "For god sake don't you have any clue in that little head of yours for all you know I might love you." Tikal was now even more confused "Love, but we are the same gender such things can not happen it is something imbued in all of us to stop such things from happening." Cream then said with her mouth wide open "Stop thinking of this like a fairy tale no one is perfect and not everyone can like the same thing when it comes to love you idiot." Tikal tried to be calm and say "Cream I know that you are feeling confused but can't we do this without shouting or violence?" Cream looked angry and said "That's it I have had enough of you." the doe slapped Tikal and she cried at how hard she was slapped she then asked "Why are you doing this to me?" Cream then shouted "Shut up I have had enough of you." the doe then pounced on top of Tikal and slapped her again but then the peach coloured echidna slapped back, Cream felt where she was slapped and said "How dare you?" then Tikal said "No, how dare you?" as she slapped Cream again then Tikal was on top of Cream the two so called fighters were fighting like 8 year old children as they were rolling on top of each other as they were slapping each other, pulling fur, trying to scratch each other and choking. Both sides were equal in the fight until Tikal rolled on top of the confused and angry doe and then the echidna's lips landed on top of Cream's lips at first the doe wanted to hit her but then slowly her rage decreased and all she wanted to do was kiss back they were like that for a few minutes when they broke the kiss Tikal said "I won." Cream then asked "What?" Tikal then got off of Cream and before she left the room she said "A single kiss always calms the greatest of beasts." after that Tikal left, the doe then went to look out of her bedroom window to see Tikal leave her home. Cream then sat down and thought she had a lot to think on, her and Tikal have a lot in common in personality and things they love like chao it was then Cream thought on her relationship with her should they just be friends or more Cream thought and thought until she said to herself "I got to tell her." it was then the doe ran out of the door leaving Cheese and Chocola wondering why Cream ran.

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Cream was running out of the house to look for Tikal the echidna may have had a few minutes head start but the doe was not going to give up that easily, but when she left the house she did wonder where was her mum cause she was not there, Cream shook her head of any thoughts of her mum and looked for Tikal to tell her something important.

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Tikal was at the park once again but this time she was sitting by the lake looking at the reflection of herself in the water she could not stop thinking about Cream, she then imagined herself and Cream committing acts of pleasure that only males should dare to do to females, Tikal then thought "Maybe this is what father called love but I can not act on it cause Cream fears this would happen but yet I can see she wants to but I do not know what I would do in a relationship like that." She was brought back to reality as she heard Cream voice say "Tikal." the peach coloured echidna looked to see Cream running towards her, the doe then stopped right in front of her and said "Tikal, I am sorry for hurting you earlier." Tikal looked at Cream not convinced that was all she came out for, the echidna then asked "Was there anything else?" Cream looked at her friend and said "Yeah I wanted you to know I think I might…" the doe was quiet for some time as Tikal said "Go on." Cream then replied "I think.. I… loveyou" she said very quickly. Tikal was now for some reason felt something come over her it was something she could not describe, Cream looked upset and said "You don't feel the same way do you 'sigh' ok I will leave you alone for good then." It was then Tikal caught Cream by surprise as she jumped in to hug her so Cream then hugged Tikal back the echidna then whispered into the doe's long ear "Maybe somehow this can work." Cream then asked "Wait a minute do you love me?" Cream was only answered by a kiss from Tikal at that point Cream kissed back, Cream then felt Tikal's dreadlocks as Tikal stroked Cream's ears there was no doubt about it this could work between them but what would Cream's mum say to this, what would everyone think but there was no need for questions right now cause all that mattered was their love and that would be all they need to know before they came back to reality.

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Vanilla sat there looking at a picture she had hung on her wall, it was one of a heart with a crack in the middle, it was her at this moment in time, she thought of what she had done with Knuckles, it shocked her, she never done anything like that normally, but then it just felt so right "Oh, what am I going to do?" Vanilla asked herself as she began to cry again.

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Knuckles sat there with his head in his hands "Man, what has got me so wound up? I am never like this." he thought back to what he and Vanilla had done "Was that right? Only one way to find out. If you truly love something, let it go and if it comes back it is yours." Knuckles sat there in the same spot "I let her go, will she return and how do I know I love her? Man, this stuff is confusing. Vanilla looked at the pink orb in front of her, Sonic had said that they took anyone who stood on it to the Angel Island, that was where Knuckles lived, she stood on the orb and was shot upwards "AH!" she screamed, this feeling was very weird. Knuckles yawned, he leaned back ready to let sleep take him when he heard a light thud and some footsteps, he then saw Vanilla approaching him "Hi." Knuckles greeted "Hello." Vanilla responded to him sincerely, as she sat down on the steps of the shrine "Um, Vanilla, about nefore.." Vanilla shook her head "Don't be, I ain't!" Knuckles was shocked "You mean...?" Vanilla nodded "I hope you feel the same." Knuckles responded by kissing her full-on on the lips, she wrapped her arms around him as they continued their kiss. "Your mother isn't in, Cream." Tikal said, she grabbed Cream and pulled her upwards and Tikal floated as Cream flew toward Angel Island "You can stay with me & Knuckles." Cream nodded as they headed toward the Island in the sky. Vanilla and Knuckles rolled around on the floor kissing each other before they broke apart, Knuckles, looked lovingly into Vanilla's eyes and as she did the same back to him "I don't know why or how, but I know it is right somehow." Vanilla nodded "What will people think?" Knuckles asked "I don't care, nothing matters as long as we are together." just then Tikal and Cream arrived, they all looked at each other "Mum, I have to tell you something." Vanilla shook her head "You don't, I know already, same as I guess you know." Cream nodded as her & Tikal sat down next to Knuckles and Vanilla, and looked at the moon.

THE END