Chapter Text
Vanilla the Rabbit had been watching the kids play from the picnic blanket for what felt like hours, peacefully sipping on a warm cup of tea. Her two chao, Cheese and Chocola, sit alongside her, also with their own teacups. Tails, Amy, and her little daughter Cream had a net set up to play badminton. It was Tails and Cream on one side with Amy on the other. It didn't seem very fair, but they didn't seem to care. Amy enjoyed the additional exercise from playing on her own.
The mother lets out a sigh as she watches them from a safe distance of three meters. "What a lovely afternoon. It's always nice to have a peaceful outing, especially with friends." she remarks to the chao. "Don't you think so?" The two nod in agreement. They're enjoying their time just as much as she is.
Suddenly the birdie is launched towards her direction and lands right into Chocola's teacup, causing a small splash. The shock causes him to fall over. Cheese has a bit of a giggle.
Cream runs over to retrieve the birdie. When she grabs it she looks to her mother. "Why don't you play with us, mama?"
Vanilla shakes her head. "I'm quite fine, dear."
"But it's two against one, and it's not fair. Come on, mama! It'll be fun!" Cream insists, reaching over to take one of her hands and giving it a gentle tug.
Vanilla laughs. "Alright, but only for a little while."
She gets up and grabs the spare racket, walking over to the net on Amy's side. Cream runs over back to her spot.
"You're going to play too, Miss Vanilla?" Tails remarks.
"Cream insisted." she replies. "I'll only be playing a few rounds."
Amy, next to her, has been working up a bit of a sweat by herself. "Well, at least I have someone who can cover my back now!"
The game starts with Tails serving. The game goes as a standard back and forth as expected. However, Vanilla doesn't move around too much. She couldn't play as well as she used to. She misses a few coming her way due to not pushing herself to reach for them.
"Mama, I know you're better than this!" Cream remarks. Vanilla only laughs it off.
The next serve carried an intense game with it. The birdie is kept tossed back and forth for a good two minutes. As the game goes on, Vanilla starts to feel a bit of that old fire she used to have burning inside of her. She starts to move a bit more, wanting to keep the game going as much as she could. Another shot comes her way on the far side of her field, and without looking where she's going, she makes a run for it. But then...
CRACK
In that instant, Vanilla's eyes shoot wide open. A sudden surge of pain fires through her entire body, sourcing from her hip. Something snapped inside of her, and with how audible it was it didn't sound pleasant to anyone who heard it. "Aaahhh-aaaaahhhh!!" Vanilla wails as she stumbles, desperately angling herself to minimize the pain, dropping her racket and clenching at the hip.
"Miss Vanilla!!" Amy and Tails shout slightly out of sync, running towards her to help.
"Mommy!!" Cream shouts and runs over to her as well.
Vanilla clasped her teeth and eyes shut, chupsing heavily as she strains to endure the pain. It is unlike anything she's ever experienced. With the help of the concerned kids holding her up, she limps over to the nearby tree and sits down. She leans more towards her good, uninjured side, resting one hand on the tree trunk as she regains her bearings.
"Are you alright??" asked a worried Amy. "Do you need medical help?"
"I think she might have broke something...!" a concerned Tails interjects.
"Mommy..!" Cream cries, tears already forming in her eyes.
Vanilla tries to straighten herself out a bit, creaking her heavy eyelids open and looking at the others all so worried about her. Her vision, blurred from the excruciating pain, slowly returns to her. "I... I'm fine." she lies. She's hurting more than she ever has before, and the tone of her voice doesn't hide it very well. However, she didn't want to bring down such a lovely day. "I just... need some rest." Vanilla continues. "If it's okay, I think I will sit out for now."
"Are you sure? We can get you to the hospital if you-" Tails insisted, but Vanilla interrupts.
"Really, it's okay. Thank you very much for your concern." she responded. She moves herself against the tree, getting herself into a more comfortable position.
Nobody is convinced that she was as okay as she said she was, but at the same time neither Tails nor Amy wanted to act against Vanilla's wishes. It'd remain in the back of their minds all the same. "Well let us know if you need anything." Amy offers. "We won't be very far."
Vanilla nods and thanks them again. Tails and Amy return to the court. Cream, Cheese, and Chocola, however, weren't so easily pushed away. Cream, especially, was shocked to her core from the sight of her mother getting hurt. Cream kneels down next to her mom, hands on Vanilla's arm. "Mama...?" Cream sounded scared, with her eyes glistening and ready to pour out a fountain of tears if pushed too hard. "Are you really okay?" she asks again.
The mother didn't want to worry her little girl. She gave her the most genuine smile she could muster despite the agony she's still feeling at the moment, reaching up and brushing against the side of Cream's head. "It's alright, dear. Mama just had a little accident, that's all." she speaks to her. "Now go and play with your friends. I'll be right here."
Cream lowers her head, hesitant to leave her mother's side. "... Okay, mama." Her face fills with determination, continuing with clenched fists. "But if you need my help, I'll come running! And I'll bring my friends, too!"
"I know, dear." Vanilla nods, and Cream stands up. After taking a few steps back with a worried look on her face, she forces herself to run back to her friends with Cheese in tow.
"Chao chaooo..." Chocola groans, laying against Vanilla's leg.
"Don't tell me you're still worried." Vanilla responds to the chao with a quiet chuckle. "It was a simple misstep on my part."
Vanilla turns her attention towards the others returning to their game with Cheese as her stubstitute now that she's down and out. Cream goes to retrieve her racket, and Tails and Amy talk amongst each other.
"I really hope she's okay." Tails comments, thinking he was quiet enough for Vanilla to not hear him.
"This shouldn't be surprising." Amy quietly speaks back. "These kind of things just happen when you get older..."
Vanilla, being a rabbit, could hear every word they said. The smile on her face slowly fades away at the realization that what happened to her might just be due to her age catching up with her. She turns her head away and sighs, hand clasping onto her damaged hip. Was she really okay like she told them she was, or was she just trying to make herself believe she was?
---
Vanilla had gone to their family doctor for a checkup shortly after and had a few tests done to check on her physical health, specifically around the area that pained her. She hasn't felt entirely right since then, and wanted to make sure nothing was actually broken.
She returned to the office the following day, awaiting further confirmation.
"I have the test results, Ms. Rabbit." her doctor speaks, walking into the office with a handful of papers. Vanilla was seated in a chair within that office, having been patiently waiting. Normally she would have gotten her results via phone call, but she came in today for additional testing.
"Is everything okay, doctor?" Vanilla speaks with concern.
The doctor looks through his papers. "Well, there's no immediate sign of weakness in the bones or osteoporosis, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of it ever happening. As long as your diet remains on track, you should continue to live a healthy life." He turns his head to her. "The worst I can say is it's... just a product of age. Physical activity simply gets more difficult when you get older. You might want to take it easy from now on."
This was not exactly the kind of news Vanilla wanted to hear. Being told yet again that she was getting old. It was already a hard pill to swallow thinking about it herself. "I... see." she spoke, disheartened.
"Only thing I can suggest is try not to stress out over it, as that will only make things worse in the long run."
Without much that could be done, she was prescribed some painkillers for the aches she's been feeling since her accident, and was sent on her way. Yet another dreadful concern to keep track of for the rest of her life, she ponders to herself. The doctor says not to stress over it, but that frightening idea of becoming older and possibly less capable still sits in her mind. What if she couldn't move around the house by herself anymore? What if she needed to rely on seventy different types of medications just to function like a normal person? What if she couldn't even get out of bed? It was already getting harder keeping up with her growing daughter. She knew the day would come eventually, but she wasn't looking forward to the point in her life when Cream might be the one taking care of her.
Just as she returns to her car, purse strap over her shoulder, she hears something down the sidewalk. Something that's clearly trying to get her attention.
"Psst!"
"Ah...?" Vanilla gives a side glance towards the alleyway next to the doctor's office. There, she can spot a shady figure peeking out from the shadows. They're wearing what appears to be a pitch black blanket over their head, pulled together at the front by their hands to obscure their figure. All that can be made out from the opening at the top are a pair of bright sapphire colored pupils.
"Hey, what part of -PSST- do you not understand?" the voice calls to her. A harsh female voice comes from the figure.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I should be talking to you." Vanilla speaks calmly, not looking in the other's direction. They seemed too suspicious, and she knew better than to deal with characters like that.
"I heard the whole thing. You're scared of gettin' old, aren't ya?" the female voice speaks.
Vanilla lets out a short gasp. She found the comment not only invasive, but insulting as well. "Well!" she huffs. "Spying on a private conversation? Very rude."
"What if I told you we can make you young again?"
Vanilla pauses for a minute upon hearing that. "... I'd think you're rather silly. You can't stop time from moving on." she remarks.
"You can't stop time, but you can turn the clock back. Just for you. We can make your body fully able, like you were fifteen years old again." the voice continues. "Come on over here and give me a minute of your time so we can talk about it."
It's true. Vanilla didn't want to grow old. Who does? The thoughts still circulate in her mind. However, something about this proposal still didn't sit right with her. Why was the other person acting so mysterious, hiding away in the shadows while speaking of this?
Against her better judgement, she humors the stranger and cautiously approaches her. The stranger takes a quick glance around the street to make sure nobody's watching before slipping back into the shadows. Vanilla enters the alleyway, though she remains near the entrance to it. "I have to ask now. This isn't one of those scented perfumes or moisturizing creams that give the illusion of youth, is it? I've plenty of homemade remedies that do the job just as well."
The figure shakes her head. Being so close, it's easy to see now that she's a little over half of Vanilla's height. "No tricks here, miss. I'm talkin' the real deal. But now let me ask YOU." the stranger seemingly points at Vanilla, though the hand remains firmly underneath the blanket looking cloak over the other's head. "How bad do ya want it?"
Vanilla brings her hands together and smiles just a little. "Oh, I'd give anything to be young again. Being able to run and play without a care in the world, and I could do so alongside my lovely daughter."
The other person flinches a bit. "You have a daughter?" she gasps. A brief moment of silence before she continues. "... That makes things easy. Okay. Alright. We're gonna do this. But we gotta do this by the book. You look like someone who does things by the book, so that shouldn't be a problem."
"I... don't quite follow." Vanilla states in a confused tone.
"Here. Lemme give you something." The stranger looks like they're shuffling around underneath that blanket for a minute, with the sound of pen scribbling on cardboard emitting from them, before sticking their hand out to reveal a small card. A purple card with a lot of writing in sharp white ink. The hand holding it was wrapped in brown bandages almost entirely. Hard to make out even a fur color given what little light they're working with in this area. "Follow the instructions on there exactly as given. Don't show anyone that card, 'kay? Can't have the government snooping in on private business."
"The government?" Vanilla questions, gently taking the card from her. "Why would the government-"
Before she could finish her question, the other responds. "Tax purposes, you understand." the stranger answers rather hastily. "Besides, this ain't just for anyone. Can't get too much attention."
Vanilla briefly glances at the card, not yet focusing on what's written on it, before looking back at the other. "... I appreciate the kind gesture, but if you're trying to keep it a secret why are you telling me about it?"
The stranger sulks a little. "Look, don't ask questions you can't handle. Let's just say I... I felt kinda bad for you. From what I've seen of you, you're a nice old lady who deserves way better."
Once more, something didn't sit right with Vanilla. She speaks as if she knew her in some way, like they've met before. But she's never seen anyone like this in her life. Her voice didn't sound familiar, and she certainly doesn't know anyone who walks around wearing copious amounts of bandages. This all just seemed too suspicious, but at the very least they didn't seem malicious. "Well, thank you. I'll be sure to consider your offer." she responds.
"Great!" the stranger speaks before backing away into the void behind her. "We never had this conversation."
Vanilla watches as the individual disappears in the darkness. Footsteps slowly creep in, then come to a complete halt. Nothing can be heard from there. No movements, or even breathing. They must be really good at keeping a low profile. A sneeze from the darkness, however, suggested otherwise. Vanilla almost found it cute.
She walks back to her car, giving the card a brief glance over. It's colored a dark purple with a peculiar sheen. It's not perfectly smooth across the surface, almost as if the glitter itself that covers the card protrudes ever so slightly from it. White ink adorns the card, forming instructions. With how gaudy it is, it's a wonder how they managed to write on it at all. And despite it supposedly being so secretive, the colors really make it stand out. The card gives an address, embedded on the bottom of the card. The written instructions read as follows:
'Midnight. Come alone. Bring your kid's brush. Tell them Silhouette sent you.'
Silhouette... Was that the name of the stranger under the blanket, or just an alias? A strange name for a strange person. Could even just be a code word. And why midnight? Why alone? And what would they need with Cream's brush? All things Vanilla pondered on the drive home. She hoped that she wasn't getting involved in anything unethical...
---
A few minutes before midnight, Vanilla had parked in one of the more slummy looking areas in Westopolis. This city was a little more out of the way for her. It's not as close as Central City, so visits here are seldom. She lets out a sigh and steps out of her vehicle, tightly locking the door and keeping her purse held close. She didn't feel safe out here alone at this hour.
Following the directions on her cell phone, she had arrived at the address listed on the card. At first glance, the place looked like it had seen better days. An old dainty shack that can barely hold the indiscernible store sign above the doorway. The entire building looked out of place compared to the urban infrastructure surrounding it, like it was a hut ripped straight out of a tropical jungle and plopped right into the middle of the city. There were no windows in the building - only one doorway. The front face of the structure was adorned with various looking foreign charms of different shapes and sizes, either hanging from the primitive looking gutter, or on the solid wall.
Needless to say, Vanilla had no idea what to expect inside. She didn't like the look of this place, especially at this time at night. Things could barely be seen with what little visibility the street lights provide. This was the right address, right? If Ms. Silhouette was trying to keep this operation a secret, why hold it in a place that stands out so heavily? Then again, of all the times she's been here, Vanilla hadn't once ever noticed this place until this moment, now that she has been directed to it specifically.
She pushes the door open and enters inside. A small bell chimes upon her entrance. A second doorway greets her immediately upon entering the first, though instead of an actual door in it a beaded curtain is in its place, easily giving way as the mother walks inside. She is instantly met with the smell of many powerful fragrances of various herbs and spices, scratching at the inner passages of her nose with their strong aromas. The area is dimly lit and not very spacious. Many different charms and necklaces are dangling from the ceiling, and various knickknacks line the shelves. Some of them had bottles of various colors, shaped in all sorts of exotic styles.
Vanilla doesn't need to wait long; less than a minute in a voice can be heard coming from the doorway behind the counter. "Just a minute, dearie. I'm coming." speaks the mysterious person, sounding like it's coming from a frail old lady.
Eventually, an elderly Viscacha woman hobbles out to the counter. She's wearing a dark purple cloak similar to Silhouette from earlier, only this one actually seems to be worn rather than draped over. Her face is visible under the hood as well, but there isn't much detail to make out other than a face that has seen many decades pass. Her posture leaves her incredibly hunched over, hardly supporting her own weight with a walking stick. Each step of hers required moving the stick forward, and her arms visibly shook every time she did. Vanilla couldn't help but feel bad for her.
"Good evening, dear." the old woman speaks. "I am Bloom. How may I help you?" She picks up her head to look at the rabbit, appearing to struggle just to do so.
Vanilla brings a hand up to her chin. "Ah-... Good evening, Ms. Bloom." she greets. "I was told you could help me with a little problem I have..."
There's an awkward moment of silence before the shopkeeper responds. "... I'm sorry, did you say something? You'll have to speak up, young lady. These old ears of mine aren't what they used to be." Her ears are rather large and sticking out of her cloak, but it looks like they're just for show at her age.
"That's just it." Vanilla reacts, speaking a little louder this time. "I was told you could... make me young again?" She gives a soft smile to the elder. As she said it, she started to consider how silly this whole thing is.
"Young? You want to feel young again?" The elder raises her voice as well. "We have many types of incense for aromatherapy, if that's what you meant."
Vanilla couldn't feel disappointed. She should have known this would go nowhere. "Ah... I apologize. When Silhouette sent me here, I was hoping for-"
"What's that? Silhou-what?" the shopkeeper babbles.
"Yes. A young woman who called herself Silhouette sent me."
The elder nods. "Silhouette... Aaah, what a sweetheart... How is she doing?"
"Well, she was rudely spying on me during a visit to my doctor, likely listening in on our conversation." Vanilla explains. "She was rather secretive, sulking in the alley and sending me on a wild goose chase with promises of returning me to my better years." The mother lets out a heavy sigh. "I suppose it was my fault. I was caught in the moment, and I was desperate... I'm truly sorry for bothering you."
As Vanilla speaks, Bloom leans onto the counter in front of her, as if prying passed the rabbit with her ears, focused more on the sounds outside than what her visitor had to say. After the apology, the old viscacha speaks again. "... Are you alone?" she asks in a slightly straighter tone, different from her shaky voice from before.
"Ah? Well, yes, but I-"
"Does anyone know you're here? Did anyone see you come in?" she interrupted.
"No." Vanilla responds firmly.
Bloom's eyes shift to the counter. She reaches underneath to undo a latch, opening it and allowing Vanilla to walk through it to the doorway ahead. "Come in, dear. You've come to the right place." She holds her hand towards the passageway.
With a little hesitation, Vanilla enters the passageway and walks her way down the stairs inside. There's hardly any light down this way, so she makes sure to take every step carefully, keeping one hand on the wall. Soon enough the texture of bamboo fades away and becomes more rocky, like she's walking into a cave. The temperature drops as she descends to further suggest it's a cavern of sorts.
The stairs turn right at one point putting her directly underneath the building, a distance of at least six meters. A chill runs down her spine from how cold it was compared to earlier. She's seen situations like this on TV before, and this is usually the part where the helpless, unsuspecting victim gets jumped.
Fortunately for her, there is a light at the end of the tunnel where the stairs end. Torches light the way into a more open area. A spacious round room with the walls made entirely of stone. The incense from before is stronger here, but the scents were a little different. It was difficult to identify what it smelled like, but it was rich, a thickened sweetness, almost intoxicating. The cave, as it were, is surrounded with tiki torches, and the walls are decorated with many different charms of different shapes and sizes, not too differently from the store above. She couldn't even begin to understand what their purpose was. The far wall had some more bottles of colored liquids, though in this context they didn't look like perfumes. The floor is littered with various assorted junk as if a trash-collecting hobo lived here.
The main draw of the room was the small glass cauldron in the center. The transparency showed the boiling red liquid inside, looking almost like lava with how milky the texture appears. The cauldron is supported by several sticks of thick wood, and underneath it burns a steady fire keeping the pot heated. Various indescribable markings surround the pot; they look like gibberish, but from the way they're laid out circling the pot it was no mistake that they were deliberately put there.
Vanilla is slightly overwhelmed by the assault to almost every sense she had. For a second, she nearly lost her balance. She straightens up at the sound of a voice behind her. A recently familiar one, but not quite the same as she remembered it.
"You are welcome here, child." The rabbit turns her head to see the elder shopkeep approach her. From her hunched posture, she stands herself up properly and without weakness, revealing that the frail act she put on was just that - an act. She stands tall, roughly the same height as Vanilla. Her figure is curvy, as if she's still in her prime years. The purple cloak she was wearing slides back as she normalized her posture, revealing her entire head and most of her body. She looked younger than she sounded, with a smooth face and emerald eyes. She wears a ruby necklace and a forest green gown covering her from the neck down.
Vanilla winces a little at the sight of Bloom's more prominent stature. It's almost intimidating. "Ms. Bloom, you are..."
"Do not worry, hun. You probably have a lot of questions." Bloom speaks, giving a slight bow. "To tell you the truth, I am much, much older than I look. I have been to many places, far and wide, dabbling in forbidden practices for generations. And somewhere in my journeys, I have discovered the secret to eternal youth... A secret I am willing to share with you, courtesy of my subordinate." Vanilla considered she must be talking about Silhouette from before. Bloom walks passed her towards the cauldron in the center of the room.
"If I may... Why me, specifically?" Vanilla asks. "You have an elaborate, underground hideout, and are trying to keep as few ears to your operations as possible." Silhouette did make it a point to keep this on the down low when they spoke.
Bloom simply laughs. "Is it wrong to want to perform a good deed every once in a while?" She kneels down behind the cauldron , motioning with her arm for Vanilla to join her. "Come." There's an obvious circle where the viscacha woman is positioned. There is one opposite of where she is as well. Vanilla kneels there. "Before we begin, allow me to ask... You wish to be young again, correct? How far are you willing to go for it?" the elder asks. "For this to work, you must want it. Want it with all your being." She lowers her head. "For it is not enough to want it with your mind, but with your body, and your very soul as well."
Vanilla wasn't comfortable with how serious this was getting. Was she actually going to get what she wanted? Did she truly want it that badly? She was hesitant to answer at first, but she lowers her own head and closes her eyes. "... I want it. I want to be young again." she speaks with a determined tone. All this time she's been worried about getting too old to do much of anything. The signs were already there, and now they're taking their toll. However, her tone had hints of fear and desperation, and the elder picked up on it.
"... I sense a bit of hesitation from you." Bloom notes. "You feel... uncertain. As if you don't know if you're ready to commit to it."
It was a pretty obvious tell. In context, this felt like a huge resolve. "But-" she tries to speak, but before she could voice her concerns, the other continues.
"Do not worry, child. For the effects are not permanent... Not unless you wish for it to be. For now, it shall be temporary. A trial run, if you will. When you've had a taste of modern youth, you may return here. You can decide from there."
Vanilla felt a bit relieved. At least now she doesn't have to make such a huge decision on the spot. "Oh, well that makes it a bit easier on the mind."
"I must warn you, however, that this is all to be kept secret." Bloom informs her. "You must not allow anyone to know about any of this. Not your friends, not your relatives, and most definitely not your family."
Vanilla was unsure how well she'd be able to keep this secret. She has a family to take care of. And if she couldn't tell anyone, how would she interact with Cream - one of the main reasons she's doing this to begin with? "Nobody? Not even my daughter...?"
Bloom slowly shakes her head. "My services need to be kept quiet. If the wrong people find out about my capabilities, I will start to acquire unwanted attention."
"But my darling Cream would never-"
"A wise man once said... Three people may keep a secret if two are dead." Bloom speaks. "I am doing this out of the goodness of my heart. All I ask in return is for your silence."
A brief moment of silence haunts the air as Vanilla realizes that in order to keep this promise, Cream could never know about what's going on. It was a little disappointing, but perhaps that could change in the future. After all, she couldn't keep herself hidden from Cream forever. With a deep breath, she nods in agreement.
"Good..." Bloom responds. "Now, as you can see, I've already prepared the mixture. All I require is a sample from you."
"A sample... from me?"
"Yes. You were told by my subordinate to bring a sample."
A sample, Vanilla pondered. Could she mean the brush? She reaches into her purse and pulls out a small brush Cream used on her fur. She's had it for a couple years, and carries trace amounts of her fur, and more importantly her DNA, on it. She'll have to remember to buy her a new one at some point. "Will this do?"
"More than enough. Now, carefully take exactly ONE strand of hair, and drop it into the cauldron. No more."
As instructed, Vanilla cautiously grabs one hair and plucks it of the grip of the bristles. Moving her hand over the cauldron, she can feel the heat emitting from it, almost as hot as a running stove. It wasn't a very comfortable feeling for her. She drops the hair in and quickly pulls her hand away. As the strand dissolves into the boiling liquids, the entire container brightens up and the fluids inside slowly change into a more orange shade, all happening in the span of a few seconds.
With her attention focused on the mixture in front of her, Vanilla hadn't noticed Bloom moving to grab a small glass vial with a pair of steel grips, gently lowering it in to take some of the liquid, bottling it up with a tiny cork, and handing it off to the rabbit after making sure it was safe to touch. "Here you are, child. Careful, the vial may still be a little hot."
Vanilla carefully accepts it. It's warm to the touch rather than the scalding hot she was expecting. She takes a closer look at it - a tube shaped vial with a cork on top and orange, bubbling liquid trapped inside. The bottle itself is almost the size of her index finger. Vanilla is silent, mentally contemplating what she currently has in her hand. Will this really bring her back to her better days?
"Keep that vial hidden until you get home. Drink all of it in one go, and go straight to bed immediately afterwards." Bloom instructs. "That should be a strong enough dose to keep you young for a day. Perhaps two, but no more."
"... Is it truly that simple?" Vanilla asks. She was somewhat expecting a more bombastic ritual of some kind like they'd perform on fictional television shows.
Bloom smiles at her. "It's that simple. Of course, I did all the important work before you even arrived."
Vanilla stands up, returning a smile. Bloom stands shortly after. "Well, thank you ever so much for your generosity."
"You're quite welcome, child. Enjoy your youth while it lasts." Bloom chuckles. "I look forward to seeing you again."
After saying their farewells, Vanilla leaves with the youth potion tucked away in her purse. She returns to her car, thankfully intact, and drives off back home. She thinks back to when she first held the vial in her hand. She couldn't help but feel a hint of dread in her mind. It could just be uncertainty, worrying about the unknown effects it may have on her, but a tiny little voice in her mind was telling her that something was very, very wrong...
---
Vanilla arrives home late that night. She quietly unlocks the door and lets herself in. Cream should still be asleep in her room, so that's one less thing to worry about. She makes her way back to her own room and closes the door behind her. Chocola is fast asleep in his little bed; hopefully she won't wake him. She places her purse on her dresser and pulls out the elixir she was given.
She examines the small vial in greater detail now that she's alone. It hasn't changed since the last time she looked at it. She takes the cork off the top, and the liquid makes a slight fizzling sound, as if it was hissing at her.
Vanilla purses her lips. She didn't feel safe drinking this. But she's gone through all this trouble just to get it... She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before quickly bringing it to her lips and downing the liquid in an instant. It slides down without issue, like a quick sip of a freshly opened can of soda. The texture of the fluid even gave a similar feeling as it travels down her throat. There's no going back now.
"Ahh..." she sighs out. "Ms. Bloom said right to bed after consuming it." the rabbit reminds herself. She turns towards her closet to get herself into something more comfortable. However, upon taking a single step, her vision begins to drag. "Ahh!" Her body feels unstable all of a sudden with a burning sensation where her stomach is. She becomes light-headed, with her mind feeling tipsy, and everything in the room looks smeared in whatever direction her head turns. Everything she sees starts to stretch out in front of her, like a never ending hallway. Vertigo sets in as the floor escapes her as well. She throws her arms out to try and keep herself from falling, but they grow heavier by the second.
Things only get worse when drowsiness starts to overcome her, as if the liquid she drank is forcing her down. Everything begins to slow down as her mind tries its hardest to process what's going on. In the middle of it all, she can hear echoes of words familiar to her, said by others, as it was all she could think about throughout the day.
"This shouldn't be surprising. These kind of things just happen when you get older."
"It's just a product of age. Physical activity simply gets more difficult when you get older."
"From what I've seen of you, you're a nice old lady who deserves way better."
The world starts to spin and Vanilla's eyes grow too heavy. Her body goes limp and she falls forward, slamming onto the carpet floor right next to her bed, dropping the vial on the way down. She was out cold, motionless, in a forced slumber.
...
Regaining consciousness in an empty space, blackness surrounds Vanilla in all directions. Straight ahead, however, she can see an image of her daughter Cream slowly come into focus. She's standing there, facing away from her, wearing her usual attire. She doesn't seem to notice her right away. Vanilla tries calling out to her, but no sound comes from her mouth.
When the vision of Cream becomes completely intact, she finally reacts to her presence. Turning her head with a curious look on her face, a bright and cheerful smile forms along her lips. "Mommy!" She quickly turns around and runs towards her mother, leaping forwards and diving to her with her arms extended wearing the happiest face she could make. A bright light envelops everything as they come into contact...
... And as that bright light fades, reality checks back in. She's greeted with the underside of her bed and the feeling of carpet along her face that she's gotten acquainted with the previous night. Still a bit groggy, she slowly pushes against the floor to get onto her knees. She can hear the birds chirping outside, and everything is much brighter than before, taking notice of the lines of sunbeams peeking through the nearby window.
"Aah... What happened last night?" she speaks to herself. And it is in that instant she realized something wasn't right. Her voice is higher pitched, and a lot smoother. She gasps, grabbing at the base of her neck. When she moves her arms, she feels an unfamiliar weight to them. They weren't heavier, but instead, her clothes were a lot looser. She looks down to notice that she isn't fitting them all too well now. "H-... Wh-...? Whaa...??" She scrambles to her feet and stumbles against her loose dress to look at the large mirror in her room.
As she got a good look at herself, she was shocked, speechless, at what she saw in the reflection. She had lost a good portion of her height, looking like she'd stand roughly as tall as Sonic. The fur on her head is noticeably shorter. She leans closer to inspect her face. There doesn't look to be a single hint of age-related degradation present in her eyes, lips, or cheeks.
Vanilla gave an open mouth smile, hardly able to contain herself. The potion worked. She looks young enough to be her own daughter! "It worked...! It worked!!" she shouted with excitement. She brings her hands together. "I'm young again!" As her arms move, she's reminded that her dress is weighing her down. She looks it over in the mirror. "... And my clothes don't fit!" She carefully and awkwardly makes her way over to the closet, slipping herself in. "Let me just fix that right now!"
Carelessly tossing the dress she was wearing like yesterday's garbage, she excitedly fumbles through her old dresses she used to wear when she was smaller. She kept a small amount of them for nostalgia's sake, not realizing that she'd get to wear them again one day. "I know I have something in here that will fit..." she comments to herself.
Chocola stirs from his sleep due to the ruckus Vanilla is causing. He sits up, rubs his eyes, and turns his gaze to the movement in the closet. "Chaoo...?" he groans, peeking over to see what was going on. Vanilla jumps out shortly after in a fresh set of clothing more suited for her new size.
She stands herself in front of the mirror again, turning and angling her body to examine herself from different perspectives. She had put on a light purple dress with a white hem. The neck of her dress is a light shade of maroon, with a darker red ascot. Even back in her younger years she had a similar sense of fashion to what she does now. "It's a little old, but it'll do! I can't remember the last time I looked this good!" she speaks excitedly.
As she bent in various ways, she realizes she can stretch her body and limbs in ways that would prove difficult with her older figure. She enthusiastically stretches her arms to their opposing feet, feeling giddy just from how flexible she is now. "This is so nice... I feel like a million golden rings!" she joyfully comments. "My new body is so healthy and strong!" She stands herself straight with a stretch of her arms up and over her head. Once relaxed, she leans towards the mirror to make gentle adjustments to her hair, giggling at the sight of herself.
"Chao chaoo??" Chocola remarks in a confused manner. He floats behind Vanilla, unsure of what to make of the situation. She sees him behind her through the reflection, turning herself to him.
"Ah, good morning Chocola!" she greets with a polite bow, followed by yet another giggle. "It's me, Vanilla!" The little chao's emotion ball forms a question mark, still unable to process the thought in his little head. "I probably look very different from what you're used to. I wasn't this young when we first met." she briefly reminiscences. "To make a long story short, I drank a magic potion and now I'm young again!" Vanilla cheers. "Oh, but we can't tell anyone. It has to be a secret, okay? I'd be in a lot of trouble if anyone found out." Chocola appears lost in thought, but before the conversation can continue, the two hear a knocking on the door.
"Mama?"
It's Cream. Vanilla wasn't sure whether or not to inform her of her current condition, as Ms. Bloom stressed how nobody should be told about this, putting extra emphasis on close friends and relatives. On one hand, it'd be wrong to keep Cream in the dark... But on the other hand, Vanilla is still her mother, and isn't obligated to tell her everything.
... Vanilla clears her throat, attempting to sound like her normal self. "Ah, yes, dear?" she speaks through the door. Her impression of herself is a little weak, but Cream seems to buy it all the same.
"I'm going to school, mommy. Are you going to come to the bus stop with me?"
That's right. She usually walks to the bus stop with her. She couldn't show her face like this. She'd risk giving her secret away, or even scare her.
"Aahh... well, the doctor told me to rest in bed. I don't want to cause further injury. Will you be okay going by yourself today?" she asks.
"Okay, mommy!" Cream responds.
"Have you brushed your teeth?"
"Yes, mommy!"
"Do you have your lunch?"
"Yes, mommy!"
"Alright then. Have a good day, sweetie. Remember to lock the door behind you, and look both ways at the crossing."
"Of course! I'll see you after school!" Cream makes her way out the door and off to school with Cheese in tow.
Vanilla sighs in relief. "... It's only for one day. She doesn't have to know." she speaks to herself.
"Chao." Chocola speaks sternly, folding his arms. He still looks uncertain about what's going on.
Vanilla turns her head to him and smiles. "Come on, Chocola. Let's go out and have some real fun!" She rushes to put on a pair of socks and shoes, thankfully able to find some that fit. "It's been years since I've felt this great. We're going to spend all day making the best of it!" Now completely fitted for outdoor activity, she hastily throws her door open and runs right out the front door. A few steps ran outside, she stops herself. "Ah! Tsk tsk tsk, I must practice what I preach." she smugly reminds herself, walking back to the front door to lock it using a key under the welcome mat. "Business before pleasure!" she speaks proudly. Having completed that task, she runs off into the fields with Chocola following behind.
---
The now young bunny dashes out into the fields, running at a brisk pace that she wouldn't be able to make before today. She throws her arms up as she runs along with the wind, giggling the whole way. As the terrain starts to become a little less leveled, she begins to experiment and have fun with her newfound capabilities.
Running up the first hill she came across was easy. She didn't pull anything or need to catch her breath at any point on her ascent. She reaches the top just as fast as Cream or any of her friends would have gotten there. "Aah, I can actually run again!" She dashes downhill at a faster speed, carrying the momentum the hill has granted her off a steeper decline. She leaps off of it, coasting through the air as she does so, landing on more leveled ground. She doesn't stop running, however. Following the leap she makes another jump off the next hill. "Aah, maybe I can...!"
Vanilla makes an attempt to move her ears like Cream does, flapping them like her daughter does. She's surprised that she's managing to ascend doing such a thing. "Aahh... I can even fly!" she gasps. She doesn't remember being able to do this when she was younger, but then again she never really tried. This time, however, she manages to stay afloat almost effortlessly. "This is amazing!" She coasts along the wind, letting it carry her as she holds her arms out. She could almost cry with how happy she felt.
Approaching a steeper hill, she descends towards it. Now more confident with her body, she lets herself fall on the decline. She curls herself into a ball like her daughter and friends do and rolls down the hill at an incredibly speed, ears flowing in the wind as she goes. As she approaches an incline, she bounds off of it, taking to the air with her ears again. "That was amazing!" she cheers. "Let's do it again!" She reverses back to the top of another hill. "I wonder if I can..." she ponders upon landing. Throwing her arms up, she curls up and charges a spin-dash like she's seen Sonic and her daughter do at times. It all came so easy to her what she was capable of now. She fires off down the hill at an even faster speed than before, launching off what may as well have been a ramp with how much distance she covered. Landing on another hill, she tries to straighten out but the momentum throws her down. "Whoa!" she blurts out as she tumbles down onto the grass, laughing.
Rolling onto her back, she glances up at the beautiful cloudless sky. She hadn't even broken a sweat yet. She's still full of energy, and she hasn't pulled or broken anything. It truly did feel like she was twenty years younger. Thinking back to her reflection, how old did she look now? Fourteen? She'd go with fourteen. The specifics didn't bother her. She felt like new, and she was happy.
Still... She had an entire day to play around with this fresh experience. She didn't intend on spending it all chasing hills and butterflies. She looks to Chocola who was situated next to her. "Oh Chocola, I've never felt so alive! We have to make the most of this. We have to do something exciting. Something thrilling!"
Just as she speaks, she hears a series of explosions in the distance. She picks her ear up to get a better listen, finding that it's coming from the nearby forest. She turns her head towards it. "Oh my... What's all the ruckus?" She stands up and runs in the direction of the sounds, where the trees grow denser.
On the way towards the source, she finds something peculiar - bits and pieces of what looked to be leftovers of various mechs of sorts. She recognized them instantly. Could this be the work of the nefarious Doctor Eggman? If that's the case, someone must have already gotten to his robots. There's pieces of Motobugs and Buzzbombers scattered around.
The explosions stop, and the fighting seems to have ended. Vanilla manages to get there just in time to see Sonic the Hedgehog and his little buddy Tails standing among the rubble of recently smashed badniks. They were in the middle of a conversation. Tails was holding a part of the last broken robot, looking a little concerned.
"... can't make anything out of these mechs. There's no tell on where the radio signals are coming from." Tails speaks.
Sonic, however, doesn't seem too bothered. "Then we'll just find some more danger, then. Where we find danger, we'll find Eggman." he responds.
"I don't know, Sonic. Maybe we might need a little extra help this time. We don't know what he's planning with an attack like this." Tails sounded a little worried about their situation.
Sonic simply shakes his head. "You worry too much. Come on. Let's go!" Without waiting for a response, Sonic runs off. Tails quickly follows.
Vanilla watches them as they take off into the distance. She pulls herself back behind the tree, finger to her cheek on her tilted head. She assumed they went off to find Dr. Eggman...
Thinking about it more, Vanilla feels the biggest smile slowly creeping along her face as an epiphany strikes her. An idea the likes of which she would never consider getting involved with before. But with her new, capable body, she started to have her own considerations...
Vanilla places her hands on her hips. "Chocola, I know exactly what we're going to do today!"