Cream woke up with a headache and She opened her eyes hesitantly. She was being carried into a deep cave and it was dimly lit by the little amount of light outside. She was hit by a wave of confusion and could feel the stiff and wet fur of whoever carried her. She was set down on the floor and felt drained. She began to get up and heard a growl as a response. She froze up and looked over realizing she wasn't the one it was targeted towards. She saw the fox looking over deeper into the cave and a flash of lightning illuminated two smaller and younger foxes that where peeking around a corner. They saw her and after a few moments left their corner and began to approach her. She backed up out of fear as they got closer and the older one had vanished. She felt her back press against the wall and she held her hand in front of her. One of them reached her and began to sniff her before seemingly playfully biting down on her glove. She hesitated and the other one seemed to be examining her. It sniffed her ear and to her surprise began to lick her fur in a oddly comforting way until she realized it was grooming her. *What... But I'm not.. * She thought for a few moments before realizing. *They think I'm one of them.. Is it because I have Tails's scent?.. * She decided to stay still and the one who bit her hand pressed up against her arm until she lifted it and it snuggled against her dress and seemed to start falling asleep. She felt oddly comfortable and even allowed the second one to lie down on her leg even though she could no longer move it. A few minutes passed and both the young foxes had fallen asleep and the storm seemed to have slightly died down. She heard thunder outside seem to shake the cave and one of the foxes seemed to cuddle closer against her. She rested her head against the cave wall and closed her eyes for a few seconds before reopening them. She saw that the two young foxes had disappeared and where replaced by a familiar pair of thick bushy tails. She looked over to the side at Tails who was sleeping against her and she blinked a few times before yawning and leaning onto his shoulder and falling asleep.
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Tails followed Cream down the stairs cautiously. His ear twitched at unrecognizable sounds he heard and he kept close to Cream. Cream went to the left of the stairs and Tails hung back near the stairs looking around for anything that could have been making the unidentifiable noises. He saw an outlined area in front of the door that looked out of place and backed towards Cream instinctively Growling out at it. "Tails?.. Is everything alright?.." Cream asked walking back over. There was a quiet snap as a small dart flew past him and he turned around as Cream fell over. He stumbled over and quickly pulled her to the side behind a corner as another dart hit the wall past him. He pulled the dart out of her arm and examined it for a few seconds before he threw it to the side. He picked her back up and heard slow footsteps growing closer. He spotted a open window and held her up as he planned out a path. He ran over to the window barely avoiding another dart and jumped over a table before making it through the window. He felt a sting in his leg and lost his grip on Cream before tumbling out the window and down a hill outside it and weakly tried to get up. His vision blurred and he couldn't hear anything. He could make out Cream lying ahead of him and weakly pulled himself over. He got up and picked her up sensing a few footsteps. He hid behind a tree as a dart flew by and landed in the grass as he limply ran through the forest.
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Cream sat in the cave making something out of the leaves and nearby vines and Tails kept an eye on her and the entrance from next to her. She tied up the last two vines and finished making a small bag that could probably only fit both of her hands. *I don't know how long we can survive in this cave.. There's got to be somewhere that will accept us..* She thought. Her thoughts went back to the moment she blacked out and she recalled something she hadn't before. It way have been her imagination but it seemed like Tails's eyes had turned from a sea blue to a dark red after he fell down.. She snapped out of her thoughts as the makeshift bag fell out of her hands and onto the cave floor. She weakly reached down to pick it up and Tails pulled her away. She heard a hiss and a snake slithered away from the bag before going to the back of the cave. She froze for a few seconds before Tails released his grip on her. She began to calm down and he let her go and stuck close as she forgot the bag and then backed into him. Tails grabbed her and pulled her out of the cave. *It was so close.. If he didn't.. * She trailed out of her thoughts as she noticed his arm had grown slightly brown and his fur seemed to stand up. *What's?.. He.. Didn't get bit did he?.. * She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of a small Chao. She looked over and Tails was looking at her confused as a small Chao began to settle into the fur on his head. She forgot about the snake and the bag and smiled at how cute he looked. She wished she could take a picture and hang it on the wall. She playfully held up her arms to make a sort of frame and she said. "Say cheese!.." Tails didn't understand and the Chao flew over to her and said "Cha Chao!.." She laughed as it landed on her head and began to cuddle into her fur. "What's a Chao like you doing here?.." She asked politely. It flew down and pulled on her arm indicating for her to follow it. Tails Followed after her cautiously the Chao flew ahead of them to the top of a few trees. Cream tried to find a way to reach the top and couldn't find any branches low enough for her to reach. Tails noticed something strage in the bushes and immediately became protective of Cream. He went silent and stood in front of Cream and she noticed his odd behavior. "Tails?.. Is something?.." She trailed off noticing a darker figure in the bushes past him. After a few moments it disappeared and they were left alone again. Tails backed into her and she saw more of the fur on his arm was turning brown. She began to tap his shoulder before a bunch of Chao began to surround them and carried them into the canopy. The Chao set them down in a Chao garden that was high up in the branches. She nearly lost her balance on the branches and Tails Caught her before she fell. A few of the Chao approached them and the others kept back. Cream began to laugh as a few of them began to excitedly cuddle against her and one even settled into the fur between her ears. She looked over at Tails who was backing away from the chao. "Tails?.. Everything okay?.." She asked him. After a few moments he began to walk over to her before he ran over and took her arm. He slightly flinched as a Chao landed on his head and began to slightly tug on his ear. Cream quickly pushed it away weakly seeing Tails apparent discomfort. " Sorry.. Could you all give us a few moments?.. " She asked putting on a softer voice than normal. After a few responses of "Chao!" They were left alone as the Chao flew into their small homes in the the leaves and branches and such. Cream faced Tails who looked anxious and spoke softly. "They're just Chao.. They wouldn't do anything.." She tried to explain. He hesitantly pulled her into a hug and she blushed slightly. "Aww Tails.." She trailed off. "It's alright.." She reassured him. He hesitantly cuddled against her sleepily. "Tails?.. Are you alright?.." She asked quietly. He didn't answer and after a few moments his head fell down onto her shoulder. She smiled and said to herself "That's Fine.." As she began to brush his ear and she looked off into the sky.
