The night before Poppy's shipment and the escape, Hayato winced as Niko cut the chunk of ear away. Her hands started trembling as soon as she was done. The two and six others in the room sat waiting in silent anticipation, but there was no shouting from Mama. She'd managed to extract as small a piece as possible without touching the tracking device. She exhaled and collapsed back into her seat. She took a second before sitting back up, bandaging Hayato's ear and unclipping his hair so it fell in place, obscuring the missing chunk.
It was late at night, and everyone was in bed- aside from the future escapees. Y/n looked between Hayato and Reina and smiled.
"Good luck."
Hayato ran to the wall and placed his ear chunk in a good place- far enough along the wall, but not far enough to raise suspicion, before heading back to his house.
Reina creeped into the secret room from the bathroom and took hold of the communication device. She carefully lifted it up and carried it out of the room. She set it in the bathroom, panting. Chris and Hannah helped her carry it downstairs. Y/n signalled to say that there hadn't been a disruption in Nina's quiet snoring as she sat listening outside her mother's bedroom.
They carried the heavy communication device a long way and stashed it into a bush.
Y/n prayed it had neither a tracking device, alarm, or anything else unexpected planted onto it. Hayato came running through the woods and gave them a thumbs up.
And the next day they all made sure Nina never had a chance to check her pocket watch. While she was distracted watching over Poppy and Reina- the two she suspected most- Y/n went back to the wall to meet up with Anna- who was going to be there today- one last time before the escape.
Y/n exhaled, rubbing her forehead.
This never would've been possible if Nina was as smart as Isabella. She then heard the crunching of leaves as the kids approached.
Y/n's stomach flip-flopped. The seven other kids looked at her for directions. Y/n nodded quickly and Poppy boosted Hayato up, while Reina boosted Chris up. Chris and Hayato then began holding onto the rope while Hannah and Niko climbed up, who helped hold the rope for Poppy and Y/n. Lastly Reina climbed up with Daisy.
They got to the top just as the Plant 3 kids all arrived. Ray caught sight of them with wide eyes. Emma smiled. The Plant 2 kids helped the Plant 3 kids get a head start climbing up.
- - flashback - -
Norman looked at Y/n in surprise.
"You want to meet with them?"
Y/n nodded. "In your letter, tell Emma to send one or two of the kids daily. As long as they won't be noticed by Isabella. I'll meet up with them and gain their trust one by one. By the time we escape they'll be familiar with me and most of my plant's kids. Not only that, but if Isabella ever gets suspicious of how much they're speaking to Emma they can come to me for instructions instead. As well, I would like to get updates on what you guys are doing and how it's going."
Norman nodded. "It just might work..."
As Emma read the letter she was surprised to learn about Y/n and Norman's conversation. But she trusted his judgment. The next day she sent Anna and young Dominic to go meet her.
Y/n came alone on the first day, but as time went on she brought more and more to meet them. By the end they'd developed a trusted relationship between them. Y/n and Emma had never met but through the words of others they learned a great deal about one-another and considered each-other friends.
'But the biggest problem is Ray...' Y/n thought. And, sure enough, Ray was the one who ended up in front of the rope Y/n and Chris were holding. He shot her a distrustful look but grabbed on. Y/n and Chris grunted under the weight but they held it successfully until Ray made it up. Y/n looked at him and turned back to brace herself for the next child climbing up.
Y/n smiled to herself as she grunted a little more. She guessed Ray was still a bit too shocked to give Y/n one of his remarks.
She was expecting him to at least say, "Just so you know, I don't trust you, no matter what Norman or Emma say." Alas, he was more concerned about the lack of four year olds and under.
Y/n listened to him and Emma's conversation, and his surprise at Emma admitting they were leaving them here.
Y/n watched as the siblings all worked together to haul Gilda up the wall. A massive lump was forming in her throat. She remembered the heartbreaking flashback scene that occurred at this moment.
It all felt so surreal.
This was really happening.
She'd really changed the timeline.
She could really be part of a family like Emma's?
Her eyes were watering. All of a sudden she didn't feel so good. It was likely just the mental pressure. The adrenaline for the past 2 months- no, since the very day she got here- was wearing off as they got closer and closer to escape.
But she had to keep it up.
She knew what happens next.
She can't relax.
Looking up from her daze, Y/n realized that Emma, Gilda, and Hayato were rolling up the rope they'd brought. Y/n shook her head quickly. She looked to Emma as she finished her speech. "But I haven't given up. I'll definitely return within two years. That's when I'll take Phil and the others, as well as all the kids in the other four plants."
"We've already started that for you!" Y/n interjected, throwing her a cheesy thumbs up.
Emma smiled.
Y/n grinned. It seemed as if Ray only noticed her presence now. His eyes widened and he paled for a split second- similar to Don's reaction upon seeing the pale albino girl.
"All you guys mistaking me for Norman." Y/n tee-heed. "Maybe is should've left my hair long after all..."
And then the kids were all off, dashing towards the crossing point. The alarm suddenly sounded and all the kids stopped moving. Y/n gulped, her hands clenching. She glanced into the distance, where thanks to the extra numbers, Reina and Chris were already flinging rope lines across the woods.
They all caught up quickly and Don tossed his rock across as well.
All the kids cheered once all three hit their mark.
"Emma... are we really-?" Ray asked nervously.
Emma looked determined. "It's okay. As long as the first person can cross..."
Don and Hayato left first, without a moments hesitation. Reina took a deep breath before crossing. Poppy came up beside her and gave her a word of reassurance. Reina nodded and dropped down the zip line.
The three crashed into the bushes and they disappeared for a second before all three popped back up.
"Yay!" Everyone cheered. Y/n let out a breath she was holding. Her hands were beginning to tremble but she pushed it aside. Thoma and Lannion released their bottles which soared across to the other side. Reina and Don secured one each, giving each-other a small nod.
"Alright! You can cross now!" They called across.
Nat went first, calling out to Ray as he flew past. "See you later, Ray!"
All of the children started crossing, their hands tied to the hangars. They were moving at a faster pace thanks to the two extra lines across.
Y/n looked at Ray as he turned to his side and gasped suddenly. She smiled to herself, knowing exactly who he was seeing.
"What a smug face. How annoying." He grumbled to the apparition Norman, only he could see, who stood beside him. Y/N cringed. 'It's a sweet scene but seeing it in person is slightly unnerving.' she thought to herself.
Y/n turned back as Daisy crossed. The younger girl let out a whoop of excitement as she soared down the line. Poppy and Reina caught her. Niko went next, going down the line Don threw. The Plant 3 kids helped catch her. Y/n eyes softened. They hardly really knew each-other- they were all so sweet.
"Y/n..." Hanna's voice was trembling and dry "I-I don't think I can do it..." her eyes were watering and she gulped anxiously, her hands clenched tightly to the hangar which hung on the zip-line. Y/n's heart fluttered for a moment as she thought of all the ways she could get her to cross. She settled on the perfect way for the blonde haired tsundere.
"Hannah, you love me. Admit it." Y/n spoke seriously.
"W-what??!" Hannah shouted. "No way! You're annoying, loud, obnoxious- but still somehow smart despite being a stupid idiot!" She yelled. Y/n crept closer as Hannah continued yelling at her. "And not only that, you-" she was cut off as Y/n's hand landed on her stomach, sending her flying across the ravine.
"WAH- I HATE YOU, Y/N!!!" She screamed as she went crashing into the bushes.
"I HATE YOU TOO, HANNAH!" Y/n called after her, snickering. Ray looked to her as if debating whether to be concerned for Y/n's mental health, or concerned for the safety of his group. Y/n stuck out her tongue and gave him a peace sign. Ray likely decided on the former.
"E-Emma, what should I d-do?" Jemima said, interrupting the hopeful silence, her voice trembling.
"My hands...I'm sorry! When I think that there's a cliff below... I start to think... What if I fall?" Jemima said scaredly. Y/n watched as Thoma and Lani looked over the edge, their faces paling. Y/n glanced at them and watched as they started to panic.
When Ray suddenly calmed her down and offered to have her tied to him, Y/n smiled to herself.
"I don't know who the bigger tsundere is, Ray- you, or Hannah." She muttered to herself. She watched as Ray was fastened to Jemima and turned to Thoma and Lanni, asking them if they couldn't do it. Thoma and Lanni shot up, countering him with a
"we'll be fine!" And "super easy!" As their voices trembled. Y/n hid a snort and helped them get onto the line.
"Ready, set-" Y/n pushed them off before she finished and they screamed the whole way down. Y/n smiled to herself. Because of the extra two lines, they were earlier then in the anime. She decided they had extra time, and climbed up the tree to untie three of the lines.
"What are you doing?" Emma called.
"I'm trying to reduce the chances of them finding out escape point!" Y/n called.
That, and she was delaying the time she'd have to cross. Her hands were trembling so badly she was worried she'd fall.
Emma got her idea and climbed up the tree, untying one of them for her. That left two lines for the girls to go down. One of the kids unsecured the other sides and pulled them towards themselves. Poppy stuffed them in her bag in case they'd be useful later.
Once she got down from untying them, Y/n looked to make sure there was no Isabella approaching in the distance. She had to hurry and cross. Emma plopped down beside her.
"Alright! Last two! Let's go!" Don called, causing a small eruption of excitement to arise form all the spectating children.
Y/n fumbled for her hangar and her hands were trembling so much she could barely hold on.
"Dammit..." she muttered. All of a sudden Emma beside her gasped. Y/N's stomach clenched. It was the same noise she made when she saw Isabella in the anime..."No... it's to early... then!" Y/n's heart beat rapidly as she turned to see Nina standing up on the wall, panting heavily. Y/n's eyes widened.
"You- you brats." Nina's voice was trembling. "This is all your fault!"
Y/n gulped. With her hair all sweaty and loose, her eyes wide and body trembling, Nina looked on the verge of insanity.
"You even planned with another plant- how??!" Nina was panting heavily. Y/n dared not move. Nina could lunge at any second.
"You?" She heard from behind Nina and Y/n paled even more. Isabella had arrived. "There was another plant involved-" Isabella questioned, her eyes wide. "And Norman?" She asked, before shaking her head. "No, a look-alike. The full-scorer from farm 2, Y/n, perhaps?" Isabella asked.
"These are the Plant 3 kids?" Nina asked as well. Y/n shared a nervous glance with Emma who was farther from the two mothers. While they were slightly distracted Y/n and Emma leapt off the wall in unison.
Isabella stared wide-eyed while Nina lunged for Y/n. Her arm stretched wide, she just missed Y/n's shorter hair. But Nina, in trying to reach her, took a step too far off the wall. She careened down into the ravine and Y/n watched as the woman fell as she zoomed down the line, her eyes wide, as Nina plummeted, screaming, as she faded into the darkness.
Y/n crashed into the bushes and Chris and Poppy caught her together.
Y/n collapsed and painted heavily. Her hands were shaking so much she wouldn't be surprised if they fell off.
"S-she fell..." her voice was trembling as the scream Nina let loose echoed in her ears. Reina grabbed her shoulders and helped to hoist her up. Emma came pushing through the children.'
"Are you okay? Did she get you?" She asked quickly, searching over her for injuries. Y/n shook her head and Emma let out a breath of relief. The two ropes still fastened to their side were untied and they were sent billowing in the wind.
Y/n looked back at Isabella along with all the other kids before they turned and started jogging away.
Y/n threw one last glance at Isabella over her shoulder as the beautiful woman untied her hair and it flowed around her. Pushing back tears Y/n continued running with her plant as Reina gave her a supportive glance. Hannah punched her in the arm as thanks for pushing her off a cliff. It was weak, though, and seemed more an attempt to cheer her up.
As she ran, the wind whistled in Y/n's ears, her short hair billowing in the wind.
For the anime watchers, her story was at the end.
The manga readers, though- they knew it was just beginning.
(A/n: because this was written long before the second season was even announced the anime was long over- bUT IT COMES OUT IN A DAY IM SO EXCITED-)