Welcome to a co-op story between myself, pain17ification, and my good friend, Curious Kitsune654
We'll be alternating between chapters, and chapter 1 was done by Kit. We're gonna try not to interfere with one another's writing styles, and we hope you enjoy this fluff story about a mother, her only daughter, and a knucklehead that becomes a part of their life
Helping Hand
-Chapter One: Unexpected Reunions-
The planet Mobius, formerly known as Earth many millennia ago, has been a planet consisting of longstanding conflicts for as long as many of its inhabitants could remember. From supernatural disasters and alien assaults to the long war between Mobians, a diverse race of anthropomorphic animals, and Overlanders, a four fingered offshoot of humans.
However, all of these events paled in comparison to that of the ruthless invasion and conquest of the mad genius Dr Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. An Overlander renowned for his mechanical inventiveness almost as much as his cruel heartless disposition, he waged a one-man war on the entire world for years. There was not one corner of the planet that had not had the wrath of his robotic armies brought down with crushing force.
Millions of people, Mobian, human, and overlander alike, were made to suffer under his rule and those that resisted only more so.
All so that he may one day realize his ambition of total world domination and the creation of a purely mechanical 'paradise' he dubbed Eggmanland.
So, it was a breath of truly fresh air when Dr Eggman was finally brought down for good at the hands of Sonic the Hedgehog. News of the not-so-good Doctor's downfall was met with universal cheer all across Mobius, with friend and foe alike celebrating their newfound freedom together.
That was two years ago and since then things had changed a lot…
Peace reigned for the first time in years, thus allowing the people of Mobius to come together and rebuild. Once ruined cities and towns were restored to their former glory while those within were able to put down their weapons and return to their old lives at last.
The roads were now filled with people traveling to and fro, some with smiles on their faces as they happily greeted each other, others rushing to work, and some just being grumpy for one reason or another.
"Hmmm~ Hm~ Hmmm~ Hm~ Hmm~" It was to this view that a lovely bunny Mobian lady was greeted with through the window of her kitchen as she pulled out a freshly baked apple pie from the oven.
She had soft cream fur tinged with spots of orange at the end of her long ears and a small tuft of the same orange hair on top her head. For clothing, she wore a long lavender dress with a white trim at the bottom of the puffy sleeves and the skirt, a burgundy-fitted vest with golden buttons, an orange ascot, white gloves with gold cufflinks, burgundy low-heeled shoes, and pink lipstick.
Vanilla the Rabbit, simply Vanilla to her friends, was a modest and kind woman who enjoyed the simple things in life. Her home reflected this; a quaint little two-story house situated on the outskirts of New Mobotropolis, away from most of the constant hustle and bustle of city life but close enough to still see people on a regular basis.
The interior was rather open, with many openings that lacked doors leading to the living room and dining room, the former having a staircase to the second floor. Outside, the neighboring homes were far spaced apart giving her a decently sized yard that was filled with lush greenery and plants.
Soft brown eyes shone with happiness before Vanilla closed them and she took a deep whiff of the pie she made. "Ah… perfect."
Satisfied with her work, the bunny lady set the dessert down onto a cooling rack by the window to… well cool while she started to clean up after herself.
She had only just started scrubbing dishes though when her attention was soon drawn away by the sound of footsteps and she turned her head to see a little girl coming down the stairs. Looking just like a younger version of Vanilla but adorned in an orange dress with matching shoes and a red backpack hanging off her shoulder, this was none other than her daughter Cream the Rabbit.
And as always, Cheese, a small lapis blue Chao, was right by the girl's side, or in this case on her shoulder, still dozing a little.
"Morning Mama," The little rabbit mumbled as she wandered into the kitchen, rubbing one of her eyes sleepily with a yawn. However, she was quick to perk up when the delightful aroma in the air finally reached her nose, making it twitch cutely. "Ooooh… what smells so good?"
"Apple Pie, and before you ask, no, you can't have any," Vanilla stated, making Cream pout, at least until her mother added. "It's a gift for our new neighbors, they should be moving in today."
"Oh! That's right! I almost forgot that was today," Now wide awake, the younger bunny excitedly skipped to the fridge to grab a jug of milk, then to the cupboard for a colorful box of kid's cereal. She then hurried to the table in the dining room where the matriarch of the household had already set down bowls and spoons for her. "I wonder what they'll be like. Maybe some retired people like that nice couple down the road? Or perhaps a family? Oh, I hope there's someone my age this time."
"That would be nice," Vanilla agreed, smiling at the thought of Cream being able to make a new friend close to home. Most of her daughter's friends lived in the city so it tended to be a bit of a hassle for the girl to have them over and vice versa. "We'll find out soon, but until then you need to hurry up and eat breakfast. The bus will be here soon."
"Yes Mama." Cream said with nod, pouring herself and Cheese a bowl that they wasted no time quickly but politely wolfing down. Once she was finished, the girl hurried to put everything away and rinsed her bowls, before handing them over to her mother while hurrying to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
'Such a good girl.' Vanilla couldn't help but smile with pride at how well-behaved Cream was. The girl was always kind, courteous, and helpful to others much like herself, though thankfully not to a naïve degree. She was nice not stupid and could tell when someone was trying to either trick her or take advantage of her.
And even if anyone did try anything, she always had Cheese by her side just in case.
It wasn't long until Cream was back, a bright smile on her lips and backpack properly strapped on. All but running across the room, she hugged her mother's waist before hurrying to the front door.
"Bye Mama, I'll see you after school. Say hi to the new neighbors for me if I'm not back before they get here."
"Of course, take care dear." The older bunny called after her daughter as she ran off, sighing softly with a shake of her head once she was out of sight.
Setting down the pan she was scrubbing, Vanilla slowly walked across her home, stopping briefly to look at a few pictures sitting atop a mantlepiece. Most were of her and Cream, but a few had others such as Tails, a blonde twin tailed fox, and Amy Rose, a pink hedgehog in a red dress.
Gently picking up one, the cream-furred rabbit smiled at the photo of her and Cream at a festival alongside a purple cat woman wearing a matching dress. The cat, otherwise known as Blaze, had an adorably baffled look on her face as she was pulled onto a dance floor by Cream while Vanilla stood a bit off to the side covering her mouth to stop from laughing.
Giggling a little as memories of that night played in her mind, the single mother carefully set the picture back in its rightful place as she continued along. She didn't go far before stopping again though, this time in front of a window right next to the front door.
Pulling the curtain to the side, Vanilla was just in time to see a school bus pulling to a stop in the street in front of Cream. She watched her little girl cheerfully greet the driver while she got on and took a seat near the front next to a couple other kids. Vanilla could just see her talking with another girl her age, both looking quite excited, before the bus was off again.
'It's been two years, and I still can't help but feel so happy seeing her finally getting to enjoy a normal life.' The mother thought with another sigh, letting the curtain fall back into place as she made her way back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up.
Her focus was only half on the task at hand though, her thoughts wandering on the events of the last few years while she scrubbed.
Truth be told there were still times she was afraid that she'd wake up and find everything over the last few years had been nothing but a dream. That she'd be right back to hiding away in a small home in the forest, either waiting for the next big dangerous misadventure she and/or her daughter would somehow get dragged into. It wasn't an unwarranted fear either as there had been more than a few times in the past that Eggman had been defeated or 'reformed', only for him to pop up again a few weeks later with yet another scheme.
Even to this day she just couldn't help but check the news at least once a week expecting to see the dreaded words 'Dr Eggman has Returned' plastered everywhere.
Speaking of…
-Later-
[…And in other news, the yearly New Mobotropolis Freedom Day Parade is expected to go on schedule next month with guest from all over the-]
Yet again Vanilla sighed deeply, this time in relief, from her recliner as she listened to a reporter on the television listing off recent events. And as with every other day that she checked there was no mention of Eggman or any other would-be world conquerors outside of documentaries and a few conspiracy nuts.
'No trouble yet again,' The rabbit lady sank further into her seat while nursing a nice soothing cup of freshly brewed tea. 'Maybe one of these days I can finally stop worrying so much.'
With her peace of mind reaffirmed, it was much easier for her to simply enjoy the rest of her morning before she would have to head off to work.
What? You thought she just sat around at home all day while the food, bills, and other such things magically paid for themselves? Of course not. She had a job, working at a quaint little bakery she'd opened up herself, Dash of Vanilla.
Before you ask, Cream chose the name…
So, after finishing the rest of her drink, Vanilla got to her feet and headed for her room to get ready for her day.
A hot shower, a little tidy up, and a wardrobe change later the single mother reemerged… looking almost exactly the same as before. The only real change was the addition of an apron embroidered with her bakery's name along with a few flowers for decoration. She liked to keep things simple and homely, none of that flashy pazazz that some places did to grab attention.
Speaking of homely though, Vanilla noticed a moving van parked outside the house beside hers through a window, which could only mean one thing.
"Looks like I'll be able to greet the new neighbors before work after all."
The rabbit Mobian hummed under her breath as she grabbed the pie she'd made earlier and put it into a cute little box with 'Welcome to the Neighborhood' written across the top. Topping it off with a little gift bow, she nodded in approval before heading out with the gift in hand.
A gentle breeze of warm spring air washed over her when she stepped outside, bringing a pleasant aroma of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers that Vanilla just couldn't help taking a nice deep breath of. Her lips curled into a calm smile as she made her way to the sidewalk then towards her new neighbors while politely waving to a few passersby along the way.
Once she got closer, the orangette saw a pair of movers leaving, a sloth in an orange uniform counting from a sack of rings and a chinchilla in a maroon outfit that was scrubbing his arms with dust.
"Excuse me sirs, are the new residents still here?"
"Meh, who the fuck cares?" The sloth said without looking up from his counting, even as he climbed into the driver's seat of the truck.
"Don't be rude Grif, she was just asking" His partner chided, sighing in exasperation when Grif flipped him the bird. "I'm very sorry about him ma'am."
"Oh, it's alright, not everyone likes a stranger poking in on their business." Vanilla waved off the apology with a polite smile.
"Still no excuse to be so rude," The Chinchilla muttered to himself before shaking his head and offering a polite smile. "To answer your question, yes, the tenant is still home. Last I saw he was unpacking."
"Tenant? As in only one?"
"Yeah, he-"
"Get a move on Simmons or I'm leaving without you!" Grif cut the now named Simmons off irritably, revving the engine for added emphasis, making the Chinchilla shake his head with a groan.
"Again, very sorry ma'am, have a nice day," He said before rushing into his seat. "Seriously man, do you have to be such an asshole?"
"Only when you make us late for Sandwich Kings All You Can Eat buffet."
"Late? It lasts all day."
"And every minute I'm not there is a minute of not eating I'm late for."
"Ugh… why are we friends again?"
The duo's conversation/argument would continue for quite a while no doubt as they drove off, leaving Vanilla standing in the now empty driveway.
However, her thoughts were more focused on what the nicer mover had said, about there only being one person moving in. That was a little surprising considering that the house, a two story three bedroom like her own, was rather large for just one person. Although it wasn't too unusual, he could just enjoy having extra space or perhaps he was getting everything ready before the rest showed up.
In any case, it didn't take long for the rabbit to shake off her surprise and continue on her way. 'It's not really my business anyway, I'm just here to make whoever it is feel welcome.'
It was with this thought that Vanilla finally reached her new neighbor's front door, smiling politely as she gently knocked.
"Hang on, I'll be there in a sec!" Someone called out from the other side in a masculine tone followed by distant shuffling sounds.
'Huh, weird,' The cream-furred bunny thought, her smile dropping a little as her ears twitched. 'That voice sounds almost… familiar. I wonder whe-"
She was snapped out of her thoughts when the door suddenly swung inwards, and the new owner stepped out.
"Sorry! Did I forget something in… the…"
Everything seemed to go unnaturally silent, the entire world feeling as if it had come grinding to a halt the instant Vanilla and the newcomer's eyes met.
Said Newcomer was a young human man, looking to be in his late teens or early twenties, who towered over Vanilla by a good two feet. He had sunny blonde hair that spiked up in all directions and lightly tanned skin. Most notable though were the six ragged scars stretched across his face, three across each cheek giving the allusion of having whiskers, and his right arm which was completely robotic.
And yet the only thing Vanilla was focused on were those shining cerulean blue eyes that were staring back into hers with a mix of shock and recognition.
"V-Vanilla?" He stuttered out softly, rubbing his eyes with his normal hand before looking at her again.
Meanwhile, Vanilla's arms trembled and her ears twitched as she just kept staring, unable to look away.
"Naruto…?
-End-