Mother's Day For a Not-Quite-Mother

Little gloved hands flew across the paper, leaving bright colors in their wake. Cream's artistry certainly wasn't perfect, but what counted was the heart, and that was not something she had little of. Next to her was her Chao buddy Cheese, who was handing her different colored crayons as she asked for them, and her other buddy Chain Chompikins, who was looking out of the dorm room window keeping watch. Madame Broode was out to the Darker Side of the moon to check up on her subjects on Rabbit Ridge and the Broodals, which Cream saw as a perfect opportunity to get to work on her gift.

After all, it was Mother's Day.

"We're almost done, Cheese!" Cream said as she put the finishing touches on her drawing. "Now I need a yellow crayon."

Cheese quickly pulled a yellow crayon from the box next to him and handed it to his friend.

"I know Miss Broode isn't actually my mother," Cream reminisced to no one in particular. "But ever since I moved here... she's done so much for me. Almost like a real mother." She cast a glance to Chain Chompikins, who was still keeping lookout, which triggered a memory. A warm one.

"Do you remember when we first met Miss Broode, Cheese?" she asked.

*"Room... 129 is our room," Cream said.*

*Cream and Cheese had just gotten off of the train and stepped foot in the mansion, looking through the map to find where they would be staying. It wasn't even a day since she left home... and she was already feeling homesick. Vivid memories of her mother, Vanilla, were still in her mind, and she had no idea when she would see her again. Joining Super Smash Bros. was an honor... but it surely came at a cost. Right now, she just wanted to get to her dorm room and put all her belongings away.*

*The young rabbit sighed, and Cheese nudged her on the shoulder. She looked at him, and a small smile crept on her face.*

*"At least I have you around to keep me company," Cream said. Cheese gave a squeaky chirp in response. "And I have Mister Sonic, Miss Amy, and many others too. Maybe... this won't be so bad."*

*Taking the elevator up to the eighteenth floor, Cream and Cheese wandered the hallway until they found their designated dorm room. They opened the door, and were rudely brought to the conclusion that they weren't alone.*

*"**ARF ARF ARF ARF ARF!**"*

*Right as the door opened, a golden orb-like beast flew out and barked loudly at the intruders, sending shock through Cream and Cheese. They were to startled to even react to it.*

*"Down, boy! Down!" another voice from in the room called. The beast stopped barking and backed away, revealing its owner, a large female rabbit in a red dress and... certainly a unique face, for better or worse.*

*"My apologies," she said. "My little Chain Chompikins tends to get rather excited. He hasn't calmed down since we left home on Rabbit Ridge."*

*"It... It's fine," Cream muttered, calming down a bit. Cheese still hugged her tightly though. "Are... we sharing this room together?"*

*"I suppose we are," the older rabbit said. For as brutish as she looked, Cream felt a... soft air around her. "What's your name, little one?"*

*"I'm Cream, and this is my best friend Cheese," Cream introduced. The Chao came out from behind the rabbit, but when Chain Chompikins looked in his direction, he took cover right behind her again. "What about you?"*

*"I'm Madame Broode," the older one answered.*

"You two didn't start off on the best terms," Cream said with a giggle. Cheese looked off sheepishly, if it wasn't for Broode stopping her Chomp pet, he might be an abandoned, withered chew toy by now.

"OK, I think I'm done with it," Cream said, putting down the crayons. "Now all I need is to sign it to her! Where did I put that pen..." she got up and searched the dorm room for her pen, moving carefully around Chain Chompikins. The search brought her to the desk by her bed. It had a small, framed picture of Vanilla propped on it, something she gave to Cream to remember her.

Staring into it, Cream remembered another memory.

*By now, Cream and Broode had gotten used to each other's company. When not battling, most of the day was spent in their dorm room, which was thankfully big enough to house them and their pets comfortably. Cheese also managed to come around and not be scared of Chain Chompikins anymore, and the two had accepted each other since. Broode was tending to Chompikins as Cream looked at that picture of Vanilla. She pulled it off the table and brought it to her face, looking into the warm face she hadn't seen in so long. She gave a long sigh.*

*It didn't go without noticing, and Broode picked up on it and turned to see Cream looking uncharacteristically melancholic. "Why the long face, Cream?" she asked.*

*Cream gave another sigh. "I just miss my mother," she answered. "It's been a month since I last saw her... I wish I could see her again."*

*"Feeling homesick, are we?" Madame Broode asked as she walked to her bed and sat down. Chompikins quickly dozed off next to the already-sound asleep Cheese. "Sorry to hear that."*

*"It isn't your fault, Miss Broode," Cream said. A moment of silence fell upon the two rabbits, as Cream continued to stare into the picture.*

*"You know," Madame Broode began. "A little girl like you shouldn't be out and about in a giant mansion like this all on her own. Perhaps I could take you under my wing."*

*"You would do that?" Cream asked.*

*"We're already living in the same room, so we may as well make the most of each other's company," Broode said. "A child like you needs guidance, and I'd be happy to provide it."*

*Cream pondered her words for a moment, and gave a big smile.*

*"I'd like that..." she said. "I'd like that a lot, Miss Broode!"*

"**ARF! ARF! ARF! ARF!"**

Cream's train of thought was interrupted by Chain Chompikins' loud barks. Cream and Cheese rushed to the window to look out, and saw that the train had pulled up in front of the mansion and Madame Broode stepped off.

"She's here!" Cream said. She ran back to her drawing and picked it up and waiting for Broode to come back up. Cheese and Chompikins quickly cleaned up the mess of crayons and paper off the floor, making sure nothing looked suspicious. About a minute later, the door opened.

"Cream, are you here?" Madame Broode asked.

"Here I am!" Cream called. She jumped in front of Broode, the picture on full display in her hands. "Since it's Mother's Day, I wanted to make you something! I know you aren't my mother, but... you've done a lot for me, and I wanted to say thank you."

"Why Cream, this is marvelous!" Broode said, analyzing the picture. It was a colored portrait of her, Cream, Cheese, and Chompikins standing in a field with the sun shining bright. Her heart was touched...

...but she couldn't be hung up on that for now, she had more pressing matters to tend to.

"Actually, I have a present for you too, Cream," Broode said. "Someone is here to see you, come outside."

Curious as to who could be here, Cream followed Broode into the hallway, and saw someone standing right in front of her. She didn't need a second to know who it was.

"MOTHER!" Cream exclaimed as she ran up and pulled Vanilla into a hug. The older rabbit gladly embraced it - she really missed these moments.

"I'm glad to see you again, Cream," Vanilla said warmly. "It's been an age. My, how you've grown!"

"I picked her up on my way back from Rabbit Ridge," Madame Broode explained, touched by the tender moment. "It turned out she was on her way to see you herself, so I helped her along."

"Thank you Miss Broode!" Cream said, not letting go of her mother.

"And thank you for caring for her in my place," Vanilla said. "At least I know my little Cream is in good hands."

"It was nothing, really," Broode said. "They're having a special lunch for all parents down in the cafeteria. I believe we should go."

"Oh, and I'll also let you meet my other friends I made here!" Cream said. "There's PAC-MAN, MS. PAC-MAN, Bowser, Chrom, Ken-"

"OK settle down Cream," Vanilla said. "I'm sure they're all wonderful people, and I can't wait to meet them."

"Then let's shove off then, shall we?" Broode said. Grabbing Chain Chompikins and Cheese, all of them went to the cafeteria to partake in the big feast. Cream was the happiest she had been in a long while, and couldn't wait to spend the time with her mother she longed for.