Work Text:
*Our story begins on a rainy day at the Freedom Fighters Headquarters, we see Nora laying on her bed, sulking under the covers, her eyes are a dark blue color*
Nora: I mindlessly attacked my friends…and even my Eagle…
*She stares at the ceiling*
Nora: What kind of a freedom fighter am I..? Do I even deserve to be called one..?
*She sits up*
Nora: Perhaps the others do not even need me anymore.. Not after what I've put them through..
*She gets up and grabs a piece of paper and a pen from her desk, she then sits down at her desk and writes on it, she leaves it there and then gathers her belongings in a bindle stick, she starts to leave, but not before checking in on the Scrap Pack, she finds Scratch in his wererooster form, he’s sleeping with his legs tucked under him*
Nora: Goodbye, my Eagle..
*She gives him one last kiss on the cheek before she steps out the door, she sighs*
Nora: Goodbye, everyone..
*She walks off into the night; the next morning, Kylie wakes up and stretches, Buddy is curled up on the foot of her bed*
Kylie: Ah! It’s gonna be a great day.
*She scratches Buddy behind the ears*
Kylie: Ain’t that right, Buddy?
*Buddy gets up and stretches*
Buddy: Uh-huh.
Kylie: And the start of a good day requires a decent breakfast, so let’s get going.
*Buddy nods his head enthusiastically and zooms off, Kylie chuckles at this and follows him, she comes across the Scrap Pack on the way there*
Grounder: Mornin’, Ky.
Kylie: Hope you slept well.
Coconuts: Oh, totally, I dreamed about bananas and it gave me an appetite. Good thing Nora’s makin’ breakfast today.
Kylie: Mmm..! I can't wait! I can taste it already!
Scratch: Seeing my Cornflower is even better, y’know. There’s nobody like her.
*He sighs dreamily*
Grounder: Yep, she’s a real sweetie.
*They step into the dining room, and much to their confusion, no food is there*
Grounder: What the hey?
*Buddy hangs his head in disappointment*
Scratch: That’s weird, I know my Cornflower, and she usually has it done by now.
Coconuts: Yeah, it’s not like her to flake.
Kylie: Maybe she’s still working on it. We should check in on her.
*They go into the kitchen*
Scratch: Cornflower? Are you in h-
*Nora’s not there either, Grounder cocks his head, Coconuts cocks a brow, Buddy scratches his head in intrigue, and Scratch and Kylie look concerned*
Kylie: Ok, now I'm starting to get worried.
Scratch: Where could she be?!
Coconuts: Hang on, this is gettin’ weird, but she might just be somewhere else in our base. How ‘bout we look for her?
Scratch: Good plan!
*With that, they all scatter, Coconuts checks the lobby, Sonic’s sitting there with a magazine*
Sonic: Hey, man, what’s up?
Coconuts: Just curious, have you seen Nora?
Sonic: Can’t say I have, no.
Coconuts: Aw, nuts. Well, thanks anyway.
*He departs, Sonic scratches his head*
Sonic: Eh. She’s probably stepped out, most likely to get a gift for Scratch, knowing her. They’re just so flirty with each other.
*Grounder peeks into the garage, Tails is asleep at a desk, there’s a wrench and some machine parts right by him*
Grounder: Darn.
*Kylie then peeks into a door, only to find Antoine and Bunnie in a lip-lock, she then closes the door silently and turns beet red*
Kylie: Oh, gosh…!
*Buddy runs into a storage room, the speed causes dust to pick up and he goes into a sneezing fit*
*Scratch then peeks into Nora’s room, she is not there either, but her bedsheets are ominously left messy*
Scratch: That's weird, she normally woulda made her bed by now! What the heck’s goin-
*And that’s when he sees a paper on her desk, he becomes intrigued and approaches it, he then picks it up and starts to read it*
Scratch: “I am deeply sorry for all the destruction I caused when Dr. Eggman corrupted me. I have decided to quit the Freedom Fighters and isolate myself so that I never hurt anyone again. And, to my beloved Eagle, just know that I will always keep you in my heart. Sincerely, Nora.”
*His eyes widen in devastation*
Scratch: No! No!! This can’t be happening!!
*He holds the note close to him as tears well up in his eyes*
Scratch: Cornflower…you can’t be gone… *He says in a shaking voice*
*Kylie, Buddy, and the Scrap Pack come in, having heard his distressed shouting*
Kylie: Scratch, what’s wrong?
Scratch: It’s Nora, she’s gone away forever!
Coconuts: What?!
Kylie: What do you mean she's gone?!
Scratch: Look!
*He hands her the note and she and the others read it, they gasp in shock when they see Nora's heartbreaking message*
Coconuts: She's isolatin’ herself?!
Kylie: That's not fair! It wasn't her fault that Eggman hacked her!
*Buddy whimpers sadly, Scratch puts his face in his hands*
Scratch: She could be lost, hurt, or even…
*Kylie gets a determined look on her face*
Kylie: …No. She won’t be.
*Scratch looks up at her*
Scratch: What do you mean?
Kylie: We’re gonna find her. We’ll help her realize how much she means to us and she’ll be back home, safe and sound.
Buddy: Yay, Lee!
Coconuts: Now you're talkin’!
*Scratch wipes at his eyes and looks down in shame*
Scratch: You’re right, we gotta help her feel good about herself again. I wish I could’ve helped with her confidence.
Kylie: Oh, Scratch, it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know.
Grounder: Where do we start?
Scratch: How ‘bout Windmill Village? My Cornflower loves peaceful places like that.
Kylie: Good thinking, Scratch, you really do know your girlfriend well.
*With that, they set off, Falke comes into the dining hall and finds that it’s empty*
Falke: Huh, no breakfast? That’s weird. Guess I’ll have to take care of it myself.
*Meanwhile, in Windmill Village, Kylie, Buddy, and the Scrap Pack arrive, Scratch looks around frantically*
Scratch: There’s so many people! Who do we ask first?
*They all notice Freyja on a stage, she’s doing a standup comedy routine and speaking into a microphone*
Freyja: So earlier today, I ran into a horse, and I asked her, “Hey! Why the long face?”
*Everyone laughs, Buddy claps his hands and giggles*
Kylie: Been a while since I went to one of her shows.
Freyja: You know, the worst time to start choking is during a game of charades.
Weasel in Audience: That’s so true!
*Scratch then runs towards the stage*
Coconuts: Hey, where are you goin’?
Freyja: Okay, so one guy says to the other-
*Scratch gets on the stage and takes her microphone from her*
Freyja: What the-?!
Kylie: Scratch!!
Scratch: Has anyone seen my girlfriend?! She’s a robotic pangolin!
*Coconuts shakes his head in embarrassment, Kylie is clearly trying not to cringe, Buddy looks concerned, and Grounder bites his lip*
Leopard in Audience: Hey! Get off the stage! You’re ruining her show!
Freyja: Wait! We should hear him out! What does she look like?
Scratch: She’s gray, she’s got black eyes, orange pupils, and a purple dress!
Freyja: …Actually, I think I did see someone like that, only her eyes were blue.
Scratch: You did?! Where?!
Freyja: She was crying, and when I asked her what was up, she just ran away from me. I wonder what that was all about.
Scratch: Where’d she run off to?
Freyja: She went into a forest just south of here.
Scratch: Thank you, thank you! I owe you one!
*He gets off the stage, the audience grumbles*
Ibex in Audience: About time.
Kylie: Hey! Cut him some slack! His girlfriend went missing! Wouldn't you act the same way if someone you loved was lost?!
Vanilla: I know just how it feels.
*She and Ice nuzzle noses, Buddy is touched by this*
Buddy: Aww…
Coconuts: Dang, what a nice lady. I’m surprised she wasn’t mad.
*Freyja clears her throat*
Freyja: Sorry about that, folks, but don’t worry, the show must go on.
Scratch: Let’s go! She could be even further away by now!
Kylie: Right!
*They all head south until they come across the woods, they all start calling her name, except for Buddy*
Grounder: Nora?
*He looks under a rock*
Coconuts: You seriously think she’s gonna fit in there?
Grounder: You never know.
*Coconuts looks behind a tree and a non-anthropomorphic pangolin is curled up there*
Coconuts: Dang it!
Kylie: Nora! Please come home! We're not afraid of you!
Scratch: We…miss you.
*Buddy starts sniffing around, his ears perk up when the sound of gentle crying fills the air, he tugs on Kylie’s sleeve*
Kylie: What is it, Buddy?
*She hears it, too, as do the Scrap Pack*
Scratch: Cornflower…?
Kylie: Is it really her?
*They then follow the sound, it gets closer and clearer as they press on, and soon, they come upon a cave, they slowly step inside, only to find Nora curled up in a ball, weeping softly*
Scratch: Cornflower, is that you…?
*He approaches her, she uncurls upon hearing his voice, and once she sees him and her friends, she curls back up again, shaking her head*
Nora: Do not come near me. Please. *She says in a trembling voice*
Scratch: Cornflower, please, come back with us, we miss you.
Nora: No! I-I can never go back..! I am a danger to everyone..! *She says tearfully*
Scratch: That's not true! You're one of the gentlest and kindest people I've ever met! And you deserve to be happy just as much as everyone else!
Coconuts: It’s true, I’m proud to call you family too. You’ve made my little brother so happy.
Grounder: And you’re real helpful, the Freedom Fighters wouldn’t be the same without you.
Nora: But…that one incident…
Kylie: That was Eggman’s fault! Not yours! You may have been the one that Eggman controlled, but that was not you!
*Scratch looks nervous, but he knows that now’s as good a time as any to tell her the truth about his past, so he takes a deep breath*
Scratch: You can’t change the past. It might be hard to believe, but it doesn’t always make you you. I mean…I used to work for Eggman in the past.
*Upon hearing this, Nora peeks her eyes at him, her eyes are still a dark blue color*
Nora: Y–You did..?
*Scratch clenches his fist and looks down at the ground*
Scratch: ..Yeah…and I still hate that I was ever with him.
Grounder: Same with me and Coconuts.
*Coconuts looks a bit annoyed that Grounder revealed their secret too, but he sighs and goes along with it*
Coconuts: Okay, it’s all true, but we don’t work with the guy anymore.
Scratch: And we changed our ways, you know that, right? And it’s all thanks to Kylie here. She helped us see that we don’t need someone like him.
Kylie: Aw, it was nothing. I just knew you needed a better life.
Coconuts: And we're very grateful to you for givin’ us a second chance.
*Kylie smiles at him*
Scratch: You see? Kylie gave us a second chance, and we were actual badniks… So why not give yourself one as well?
*Nora thinks about this and uncurls herself*
Nora: You are right. I cannot let this affect me forever. It is not healthy, for me or anyone else. I did not truly want to be alone forever.
*She then gives Scratch a hug and her eyes turn magenta with affection*
Nora: I missed you dearly, Eagle.
*Scratch hugs her back*
Scratch: Likewise, Cornflower.
*Buddy then hugs Nora’s arm*
Buddy: Nora…
*Nora looks at him in surprise, she is visibly touched*
Nora: You said my name, for the first time.
Kylie: Nothing can ever change the way we feel about you, Nora, you're part of our family, and family never leaves each other behind.
*Nora smiles at her*
Kylie: Now, how about we go home?
*Nora smiles awkwardly*
Nora: Oh…that is right, I never gave you breakfast. My apologies.
Grounder: Yeah, I’m starved.
*Buddy nods his head excitedly*
Coconuts: Better late than never, I suppose.
*With that, they all go back to the HQ together, they hear the others talking in the dining hall and come in, they find everyone eating together*
Sonic: Oh, hey, you’re back.
Nora: What? Who made all this in my absence?
Falke: I did. I took it upon myself while you were out. I made sure to save some for you guys.
Kylie: Oh, how thoughtful of you, Falke.
Buddy: Yay! Yummy!
Nora: Thank you for your help, Falke.
Falke: No prob.
*And with that, everyone finally starts eating, Scratch and Nora sit right next to each other and they all chat, everything’s calm and relaxed in the Freedom Fighters HQ once again*
(The end)