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Chapter 2: Marshmallows and Mischief
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Cream trotted ahead, with Cheese flying next to her. Shadow followed behind them, a bit puzzled by his own feelings. He should have been annoyed at having to accompany this child, but her happy mood seemed to eat away at his bitterness. Still, his stubborn pride diligently fought off the impulse to smile as he watched her skip along.
After walking in silence for a few minutes, Cream fell back to walk alongside the dark hedgehog. She looked up at him, at which point he made sure to harden his expression. "So, Shadow-san," she began, "have you done your Christmas shopping yet?"
"No, not really," Shadow answered simply, continuing to stare straight ahead.
"Oh, I haven't finished my shopping yet, either," she continued, not deterred in the least. "We've been shopping with my mother all morning. It can be quite tiring after a while!"
"Hm, indeed." Annoyance sparked up again.
"Who do you need to shop for, Shadow-san?" the girl asked innocently.
Shadow looked away. "No one, really."
"Oh? You must have some friends or family to get gifts for, right?"
His voice lowered. "My only family died long ago."
Cream's ears drooped a little. "Oh… I'm sorry…" She paused a moment, looking down at the ground. "My father died when I was little, too." She looked up and smiled. "But Mama and I still give him flowers every Christmas. Maybe you could do that, too!"
Shadow looked down at her and couldn't help smiling slightly at her innocence. "Maybe."
"Chao chao!" Cheese suddenly cried, pointing ahead with one of his little paws.
Cream looked ahead and saw an older rabbit looking around anxiously. "Oh! There's my mother! Mama!" she yelled, waving.
The woman looked up, relief lighting her face when she saw them. "Cream!" she cried, running toward her daughter. The little rabbit ran as well, jumping into her mother's arms. "Oh, Cream! I've been looking all over for you! I was so worried!" Noticing a familiar hedgehog walking up, she bowed her head in a sign of gratitude. "Thank you for finding her, Sonic--" She stopped abruptly as she got a better look at him. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry, I thought you were someone else..."
Cream giggled, hopping out of her mother's arms. "I thought he was Sonic-san at first, too, Mama. This is Shadow the Hedgehog. He helped me get Cheese back!"
"I see!" her mother replied, smiling. She looked much like a larger version of Cream, albeit much more mature in both appearance and style. She bowed gracefully, hands clasped in front of her lavender and pink dress as she introduced herself. "My name is Vanilla the Rabbit. It's a pleasure to meet you, Shadow."
He could see where Cream got her politeness from. "…Likewise."
"Thank you very much for helping my daughter. Is there some way that we can repay your kindness?"
Shadow blinked then looked away. "T—that's not necessary…"
Cream's eyes lit up as an idea formed in her head. "I know, Mama! Let's all go to Cali-san's café for hot cocoa!"
"That's a great idea, dear." Vanilla looked up at the dark hedgehog. "Won't you join us? My treat," she added with a smile.
Shadow was ready to decline the offer, but the hopeful look on Cream's face completely melted his resolve. Looking from rabbit to rabbit, he sighed inwardly. "Alright."
Cream and Cheese cheered again, and Vanilla smiled happily. "Wonderful! It's not far from here, and her cocoa is delicious."
"Yeah! Let's hurry!" Cream excitedly grabbed Shadow's hand and began tugging him along behind her. The hedgehog sweatdropped, while Vanilla merely laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm.
Within a few minutes they arrived at the little restaurant. Shadow looked up at the sign over the door as they entered. The Calico Café. The warm atmosphere inside was a welcome change from the cold weather outdoors. Mellow hues of yellow and orange decorated the walls, complimented by the wooden browns of the floor and furniture.
Shadow soon realized how the café got its name when they were greeted by a mottled cat. She wore a short, frilly red dress with a white apron, as well as a red bow on the end of her tail. The calico smiled happily as she walked up to them. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customers! How are you, Vanilla?"
The rabbit smiled back at her. "I'm just fine. And you?"
"Oh, working hard as usual. Or pretending to, at least," she added, winking at Cream. She bent down to the young rabbit and Chao. "And what's new with these little munchkins? Staying out of trouble, I hope?"
Cream sweatdropped. "Well… we try to…"
"Chao…" Cheese added with an embarrassed smile.
The cat laughed and shook her head. "Some things never change." She straightened and fixed her gaze on the dark hedgehog lingering behind the other two. "And who might this handsome fellow be?"
Shadow merely glared back at her, but Cream took the liberty of introducing him herself. "This is Shadow the Hedgehog. He helped us while we were out shopping." She smiled up at him, while he looked away uneasily.
The cat gave an amused smirk and extended her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Shadow. My name's Cali. Welcome to my café." The black hedgehog regarded her from the corner of his eye for a moment, finally extending his own hand to shake hers. "Well," Cali began, placing her hands on her hips, "no use standing around. Let's get you guys a seat!"
She cheerfully led them to a nearby booth set against the front window. Shadow slid into one side of the booth, as did—much to his discomfort—Cream and her Chao. Vanilla took the opposite seat.
"So, what'll it be today?" Cali asked as she took a pad and pen from her apron.
Vanilla placed her order first. "I'll have a CaliCocoa, please."
"One for me too, please!" Cream added. "And Cheese."
"With extra marshmallows?" Cali questioned, winking at the two. They nodded happily. "Okay, so the usual for you three…" She looked at Shadow. "And how about you? Shall I read off what we have?"
Shadow gave a slight shake of his head. "I'll just have what they're having."
"Okay." An amused gleam formed in her eyes. "Would you like extra marshmallows, too?"
Shadow glared at her again. She was beginning to remind him a little too much of a certain blue hedgehog… "No. Thank you."
"Okay then," she replied, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Four CaliCocoas coming right up!" She strode off to prepare the drinks, her bow-tied tail twitching back and forth as she went. Shadow continued to glare after her for a moment but soon turned his attention to the window. He was staring disinterestedly at the people walking by when Vanilla began to strike up a conversation.
"So tell me, what exactly happened with Cheese earlier today?"
Cream piped up. "Well first, this boy—Chris-san—grabbed Cheese while I was looking in a store window." Both the rabbit and the Chao got fearful expressions on their faces to emphasize the dramatic events. "So then I flew after him…" She smiled embarrassedly. "…and flew into Shadow-san."
"Oh!" Vanilla gasped, looking to Shadow. "I do hope she didn't hurt you at all…"
The hedgehog smirked slightly, shaking his head. "I've taken worse hits."
Vanilla gave a relieved smile then turned a slightly stern look on her daughter. "You need to be more careful when you fly before you hurt someone!"
"I'm sorry, Mama. I'll be more careful next time…" she promised, a little ashamed. "Anyway, Shadow-san said he'd help me get Cheese back, so he chased Chris-san." Her eyes lit with awe and excitement. "And he was so fast, Mama! Maybe even as fast as Sonic-san!"
Shadow smirked and responded automatically. "Faster."
Vanilla laughed. "A bold statement! I take it you've met him?"
The hedgehog nodded. "Yes." Unfortunately…
Cream stared at the dark hedgehog in amazement. "Oh, so you're a friend of Sonic-san, too?"
Shadow's eye twitched at the question. 'Friend' and 'Sonic' were not meshing together very well in his mind at the moment. He forced a smile. "Something like that."
"Wow, what a coincidence!" Cream exclaimed with a smile. "Chao!" Cheese agreed.
"Uh, anyway…continue your story…" Shadow replied, attempting to change the subject.
"Oh, right! Well, we both caught up to Chris-san and I got Cheese back. Then we found out that Chris-san just wanted to get a present for his little sister. So I suggested that he make something for her, and he seemed to like that idea. He left, and then we came looking for you, Mama."
"I see," her mother replied. "Well, it seems you've had quite a day already!" She turned to Shadow. "I hope she hasn't caused you too much trouble…"
Shadow shook his head, surprising himself when he realized that he hadn't minded helping the little girl at all. The incident had distracted him from less pleasant thoughts…
Cali returned with a tray full of drinks just then. "Here you go!" She handed each out—a plain cocoa for Vanilla, cocoa with marshmallows for Cream, a smaller version of the same for Cheese, and a plain cocoa accompanied by a little packet of marshmallows for Shadow. The cat grinned. "Marshmallows on the side, just in case."
He gave her a sour smile. "Thanks."
"No problem," she winked, still grinning mischievously. "Enjoy, everyone!" She strode back to the front counter, leaving them to their drinks.
Cream and Cheese eagerly drank from their marshmallow-laden cocoas. "Mmm, Cali-san's cocoa is the best!"
Vanilla nodded after sipping from her own cup. "I have to agree."
Shadow drank a little from his, eyebrows raising a little as he tasted it. "You're right, this is good…"
Cream smiled up at him. "It's even better with marshmallows. Try it!"
The dark hedgehog looked down at the packet of marshmallows uncertainly. Then he shot a glance at the counter just as Cali turned around, pretending she wasn't watching them. Sighing in defeat, he opened the packet and emptied its contents into his cup. Taking a sip from his altered drink, he was certain he heard Cali giggling from behind the counter.
"Good, isn't it?" Cream questioned.
Shadow responded with a slight nod, still eyeing the counter.
The little rabbit beamed back, taking another gulp of her cocoa. The group continued to drink in silence for a few minutes, absorbed in the tasty hot chocolate. It wasn't long before Cream set down her emptied mug and began dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "That was yummy, wasn't it, Cheese?"
"Chao…" he replied, looking sadly down at his own empty cup.
Cream giggled at her Chao's expression and began wiping his mouth with her napkin as well. "Don't worry, maybe we can come back tomorrow."
The little blue creature immediately cheered up. "Chao chao!"
"Oh, that reminds me," Cream began. "Mama, I still need to get your present! Can I do that tomorrow?"
Vanilla smiled back. "Of course, we can go shopping again tomorrow."
Cream furrowed her brow in dismay. "But, Mama, you can't be there when I get your present… I want it to be a surprise!"
"Hm, well I can't let you go by yourself…" her mother replied thoughtfully. "Maybe Cali could go with you."
The cat's sensitive ears twitched in their direction at the sound of her name. "Need something?" she asked, walking over.
"Well," Vanilla began, "Cream wants to go shopping for a gift for me tomorrow, but she doesn't want me along so that it will be a surprise. Would you be able to go with her?"
"Aw, I'd love to," Cali replied with an apologetic frown, "but I have to work. Sorry, Cream." The little rabbit's face fell, hitting Cali with a pang of sympathy. Wish there was something I could do to—Her expression changed as an idea popped into her head. She looked at Shadow, a grin forming on her face. –help.
Shadow noticed the sudden change in her expression and immediately got a sinking feeling in his stomach. No…he thought bleakly, eyes widening.
The cat grinned back at him and turned to Cream. "Hey, maybe Shadow could go with you."
The hedgehog's jaw dropped slightly as he stared at her in disbelief. This cat was bent on his psychological destruction, he was sure of it. To make matters worse, Cream turned to him with eyes full of a new hope. Oh no…
"Oh, but you've already done so much for us, Shadow," her mother protested. "We couldn't ask you to do any more." Cream looked from her mother back to the hedgehog, a despairing look on her face. Her head dropped sadly.
Shadow grimaced at the display, guilt washing over him. He was well aware that Cali was still smiling slyly, but the rabbit's unspoken plea made even his stone-cold pride crumble. I'm going to regret this… "It's alright… I'm not busy tomorrow."
Cream looked up at him, wide-eyed. Vanilla gave him a concerned look. "Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you."
She was giving him every opportunity to refuse—it seemed like it would be so easy to just politely decline. But saying 'no' to Cream's face… Shadow thought that he'd rather be facing the Biolizard. "I… don't mind..."
The young rabbit grinned widely and embraced Shadow in a tight hug. "Oh thank you, Shadow-san!" His face reddened slightly at the show of affection.
Vanilla smiled gratefully. "You truly are kind, Shadow."
Something else to blame Sonic for… he thought, smiling grimly.
Cream released him, still beaming. "Yay! I'm so happy! We'll have lots of fun, won't we, Cheese?"
"Chaaao!" he cheered happily. Cream giggled and smiled up at Shadow. He reluctantly smiled back, surprised again that he felt a little pleased with himself.
"Well, that problem's settled," Cali spoke up. "Shall I take your dishes?" They each handed their emptied cups to her, and she winked teasingly at Shadow as she took his. He smiled darkly back at her. Sonic had just dropped to number two on his 'hit list'…
As Cali left for the kitchen, the small group slid out of the booth. She soon returned, meeting them at the front counter. Vanilla paid her for the drinks and thanked her kindly.
"Nah." She waved a hand nonchalantly. "Thank you for your business… and your pleasant company." She smirked at Shadow, who frowned back.
"Bye, Cali-san!" Cream waved cheerfully as they turned to leave.
"Seeya later, guys! Have a nice day!" The feline waved back as they left.
Once outside, the group immediately felt the cold seep through their fur. Shadow fought off a shiver and turned to Vanilla. "Thank you for the drink… it was nice," he said, genuinely grateful for the warmth of the liquid in his stomach.
She smiled, shaking her head. "It was the least I could do. You've been so kind. Thank you so much for all your help."
He shrugged. "It's nothing."
"Ne, Shadow-san," Cream spoke up with a bright smile. "When should we meet tomorrow?"
Shadow sweatdropped, the reality of his agreement sinking in. "I… don't know. Whenever you'd like, I suppose."
The girl looked up at her mother. "What do you think, Mama?"
"Hm… How about we meet here at noon? Would that be all right?" she asked Shadow. He gave a small nod.
"Yay!" Cream cheered again. "I can't wait!"
"Well, Cream," her mother began, "I think we should be going. We have more shopping to do, and I'm sure Shadow has other things to do as well." She bowed again to the hedgehog. "Thank you again."
Cream and Cheese followed suit. "Thank you!" They turned to leave, waving farewell as they went. The little rabbit beamed back at him. "Bye! See you tomorrow, Shadow-san!"
A small smile tugged at the hedgehog's mouth as he waved back. After they turned a corner, he sighed. What's wrong with me? Why am I doing this? He turned and walked in the opposite direction, thinking about all that had happened. He wondered why he had agreed to help that little girl, why he was so helpless to her. Am I really that weak? So weak that I can't even refuse a child? He couldn't understand it. He was the Ultimate Lifeform. He should have been stronger than that. But in the presence of that child, the 'Ultimate Lifeform' in him seemed to fly out the window, leaving him open and vulnerable.
Picking up the pace, he began to run to nowhere in particular. What have I gotten myself into?