The Dark Hatchlings

Dark touched one of eggs gently with his horn, putting his ear close to it. He could hear a faint scritching sound within.

Lerla looked curiously to Dark, "Do you hear anything?". She was excited, waiting to be a mom. Looking foward to it by now.

"I think this one is about to hatch," the Nidoran replied. He was getting anxious too. What if he did something wrong?

Lerla smiled happily. She put her ear near one of the other eggs. Sure enough, a faint scratching came from within. She smiled, and held it closer to her, "I think this one is too."

Dark glanced at the pearly white egg. "I am not, however, so sure about that one."

Lerla nodded a bit sadly. Still, even if it DID hatch, it probably wouldn't live long. Not most albinos did, and that's what she guessed it would be. Her attention was suddenly diverted as the egg at her feet began to crack. She jumped a bit, then looked down and saw it was the egg. She was delighted. It was hatching! She looked over quickly to Dark, "I think your first born is coming."

Dark crouched close by her side, "how do you know it's my firstborn?" He asked, a little grumpily. It was quite an embarrasment to him that he had not managed to find a mate before.

Lerla blushed, "I didn't mean like that. I meant OUR first born.". She smiled, and gave him a nuzzle, not mentioning that she hadn't ever actually HAD a mate before.

"Oh," Dark was mollified. "Should we help it?" As the egg gave another audible CRACK, Lerla suddenly looked a little nervous, "Ummm....I'm not really sure.". The egg rolled a bit, and cracked yet more...wait, it wasn't just this one. She looked over and saw another egg begining to crack as well.

Dark reached out a paw, a moment too late to stop one of the eggs from cracking against the wall. He winced at the crackling noise. Lerla held the first egg close to her, and looked even more anxious as the last black egg began to crack as well. Suddenly, the egg at her paws gave one last loud CRACK, then was motionless. Lerla for a moment wondered if something was wrong, until the small black head of a small nidoran female popped up to greet her with a happy, "Raaaaannn!"

The shells fell away from the egg that had collided with the wall and a tiny black male rolled out, blinking in the new light, dim as it was. Dark immediately hopped over to his side, and licked the remainder of the egg from his damp fur. His small heart was swelling with pride, as the newborn male nuzzled him, in a search for food he would not, naturally find. Tenderly, Dark picked up the youngster by the scruff of his neck and placed him by his mother.

Lerla had been cleaning off the small female, and smiled at the small male. Before long, they were getting their very first meal. The third egg began rolling around wildly. Lerla would have gotten up to stop it's wild thrashing, but had her paws a bit full with the two feeding babies. The female seemed a bit big for her age, but was adorable none the less. She might be a muscular nidoran when she grew up.

As Lerla was otherwise engaged, Dark chased the egg around the small den. This one was certainly very active! Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the female kit was very boistrous and over enthusiastic and smiled. Good strong genetics there! He frowned at the pearly white egg, which still had not moved. Lerla also threw the white egg a slight frown, but was a tad bit relieved. What would Dark have thought if it HAD hatched? She turned her attention to Dark for a moment, a broad smile on her face. The hyperactive egg bashed against Dark and he sprang backwards with a startled yelp. This little fellow was certainly over enthused!

Lerla couldn't help but giggle a bit at the sight that stood before her. The female looked up for a moment, then went back to feeding. Holding one paw in the air, the one that was "run over" Dark grinned as the shell finally cracked open and the kit rolled out. As predicted, this one was black, and another male-kit. Lerla smiled broadly, so far rather proud of her family. The white egg had still remained motionless. Lerla looked at it for a moment, then looked to Dark and the kit. She smiled, "Think that one's gonna be a handful?"

The kit uncurled himself form the foetal hatch position and crawled shakily across the floor, straight at Lerla. "I think indeed, he might!" Lerla giggled more, then turned her attention to helping the kit to his meal. Dark moved over to beside the final egg. It did not seem to be wanting to hatch in a hurry, but when he put his ear to it he could hear a faint scratching inside.

Lerla felt herself pale ever so slightly, "Is there anything in there Dark?"

Dark nodded. "I'm going to help it," he said, bringing one claw against the shell, he pushed it, so that it rolled. Lerla nodded, but was worried. The fear of bearing Dark an albino kit made her more and more nervous.

Dark pried open the eggshell using his gnashy little teeth and his horn. Eventually the pure white eggshells fell away to reveal a small, weak, pure white kit. She was curled up in the egg position, moving only slightly.

Lerla looked over at it briefly, but it was obvious a look of worry had spread on her face. She looked back over again, and looked even a tad bit scared of the small weak kit.

Picking the weak kit up by the scruff of its neck, Dark carried it over to its mother, and placed it before her. It was almost too weak to suckle.

Lerla looked awful nervous of the small kit, and looked even more concerned when the other female fiercely shoved the small albino out of the way. Lerla gently picked up the bigger female, and scolded her a bit. She looked over to Dark, more worry on her face.

"I think," Dark said sadly, "this one has all our negative genes combined together. I don't think she's going to make it."

Lerla nodded, and looked as if she had made a decision. Her eyes looked shiny though, as if she was saddened by it, "Maybe it would be better to put this one out of her misery. I don't want any of our kits to have to suffer...".

Dark nodded, although he hated the idea of losing one of his kits, he could tell from the weak condition, and the albino fur (for the kit had the creepiest pink pupils he had ever seen) that it would be highly unlikely for this kit to survive. And it could be deterimental to the other kits were they to attempt to save her.

Usually it was traditional for the mother to kill and eat any weak kits, but Dark doubted Lerla could do it. So he offered her an alternative. "I can take her outside if you like."

Lerla brightened slightly, but still looked a bit sad, "I don't want to make you do anything displeasurable, but it would still be appreaciated.". It was obvious that she wasn't a hundred percent for the idea, but it was better for the sake of the kit. She looked at it for what may very well be the last time, her eyes tearing up a bit.

Dark gulped, watching as the larger female pushed the albino away, seeing her feeble movement. "I think, in all honesty, it will be kinder on her." He picked up the kit by the scruff of the neck, a lump forming in his throat.

But he would not let Lerla see him cry. He had three beautiful strong, black kits and the death of this one little freak was not going to be anything surprising.

She was unlikely to make it through the first day.

Lerla looked to Dark, and the gratitude in her eyes was more than a little obvious, as were her tears.

Dark, still holding the kit (which hung limp and lifeless already), nuzzled her, rubbing his cheek up against hers. He knew it was hard on her. But it was for the best.

Lerla smiled a bit at Dark, and was glad for his comfort. She rubbed her cheek back against his, but couldn't stop the tear that ran down it.

Carrying the youngster gingerly in his mouth, Dark padded from the burrow, behind him the mews of his three strong kits added strength to his heart. It was a terrible job, but it was his responsibility, as father, to undertake in infanticide.

For the good of his kits...

Lerla looked after Dark, feeling rather sorry she had handed him what must be a horrible task. She looked down at her three strong kits. Three strong kits. As long as they were there, it was all that mattered...right?

*

Dark carried the tiny kit along the side of the waterfall. It was quite dark now, his fur blending into the shadows as he picked his way across the rocks. Even in the moonlight, the refraction of light across the water was truly glorious, but could not compete with the heavy feeling in his heart.

He gulped again, as the white youngster struggled feebly. She could not live. He knew that. With her weak nature and her pale fur, she would quickly fall behind her boistrous siblings, quickly sucuumb to starvation and the death that followed. A slow, painful death, a harsh end to a short
life.

It was better this way. Better it be quick.

From between his teeth, the kit blinked blearily at a world she would never truly see. Her eyes, the pupils pink, the irises a pale blue, were watering already. Her juvenile vision was poor, even though her eyes were open from birth, she could not discern shapes, merely shades of grey.

Dark continued onwards, towards the top of the waterfall. It was his plan to take her to the top, dispatch her quickly with a bite to the neck, and bury her corpse in a shallow burrow at the top.

He could have killed her before climbing up. But he had not yet got the courage to do so.

His claws scrabbled in the rocks as he clambered up to the top. The tiny burden, although so small and light, was still starting to drag him down. Dragging him down with the weight of guilt, more likely, he thought to himself. But this was something that had to be done.

Suddenly he felt his grasp slipping, and the tiny youngster beginning to slip. Quickly, he brought up a forepaw, almost unsteadying himself in the process, and stopping her falling to her death below. Moving his position slightly, he re-grabbed her nape.

She squeaked faintly.

Why had he not let her fall? A fall would surely kill her quickly, and take the responsibility from his paws. But he could not.

He could not...

*

After many more moments Dark reached the top, and lay the youngster gently on the rocks. She blinked up at him, her pale ears, with their fine tracery of pink beneath the surface, twitched.

Dark's red eyes stared into her pale blue ones. He hardened his heart. This would not be too hard. All he had to do was drive his horn through her tender throat.

He positioned his horn, ready for the killing blow. It would be quick, it would be swift...

He could not do it...

He did not know how long he stood there atop the waterfall, his horn aimed at the tiny youngster, telling himself to do the deed, to make it quick, and mostly painless. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. The wind danced across his fur and dried his eyes.

This could have been him here, he reflected, lying still and cold on the rock, wondering what his father was about to do to him. He had been a freak too, a black Nidoran amongst the normal lavendar and blue. So what if she was white? Snowdrop had been white.

Of course, the albino had always been a weakling, and had to be cared for by the rest of the clan, but she had redeemed herself in other ways. Nobody told a story quite like Snowdrop. Until the day her life had been cut short, and the real dark Nidoran had claimed her at last.

The kit whimpered from the cold, dragging herself closer to her father's warm body. She pushed herself against his soft belly fur, seeking milk and warmth.

As hard as his heart was, as cold as he could be, there was no way on earth that Dark could kill his own offspring. But then an idea began to form in his head. It was not a great one, but it might just work.

He picked up the youngster by her scruff again, ignoring her feeble protestation, and began clambering down the waterfall again. It was much harder going down then up, especially with a burden he had not expected to carry, and many times his paws slipped from beneath him and he and his tiny burden almost fell into the waterfall. The roar of the water echoed in his ears, deafening.

The kit showed no reaction to sound, and he knew that she was deaf. Somehow saving her seemed crueler then killing her, and he began to feel guilty about not being able to do the deed. What would Lerla think of him? She had trusted him to kill the weakling, and here he was, failing her. Failing himself. And failing the kit.

But he could not do it. She was a part of him, even if it was the weaker part.

The last part of the waterfall was the steepest, and here Dark actually truly did slip. He tumbled down the rocks, landing painfully in the grass at the bottom, but managing to cushion the kit against his belly.

Quickly regaining composure, he put her gently down, licked her face and whispered, "don't worry little one, Daddy won't hurt you," then felt immediately embarrassed because she couldn't hear him anyway and what if one of the Flitterbees did? He would never live that one down!

Luckily, the little rainbow birds were sound asleep.

Tenderly, he picked up his smallest kit and trotted southwards, towards the den where he had parted ways from Evin hours earlier. They had adopted one kit, maybe they would not be adverse to adopting another. Whatever the answer, this little white kit stood more of a chance with only one competitor, herself somewhat of a weakling, then with three, two of which were pretty boistrous.

He just had to hope that Evin would be willing to repay a favour�

*

Approaching the den, Dark was surprised to see a Miltank leaning against a tree, a tiny Stantler fawn curled up at her feet. Things certainly were getting strange. What was a Miltank doing so close to Evin's den? The fawn opened its baby-blue eyes and stared at him.

"What you do here?" It whispered, anxious not to disturb its... mother? "Why you bring baby-fur?"

Dark gently placed the kit between his forefeet and sized up the fawn. Although it was only small, it was still at least twice his size, the moonlight was catching a strange shape on its left shoulder, which almost looked like a star.

"I have come to visit Evin," he replied, "I have a favour to ask him. And it is none of your business!"

"Papa-Evin all big-fur now," the fawn replied, "and he go out for walk, not come back yet. Mama-Mana is in there though, and this is Mama-Milly." He nodded at the Miltank. "What you called, little black fur?"

This was getting puzzling. It appeared that this Stantler fawn considered Evin his father, and Manami his mother, but he also seemed to think Milly was his mother. What the hell was going on here? Was Evin setting up a home for waifs and strays from all around? First he had a Nido-kit of unusual colour (even more unusual then black or white), and now he appeared to have a Stantler fawn as well, not to mention a Miltank they had picked up from somewhere.

"Look, I don't have time," Dark snapped. "If I muck around any longer this baby is going to die, and it will be your fault for detaining me! So leave me alone, ok?"

The fawn dropped his head on his rump. "Sorry mista black-fur," he whimpered. "They in burrow there."

Picking up Pearl again, Dark hopped over to the burrow and placed her down again. She snuggled against him for warmth.

"Manami?" He called, "it's Dark here, remember me? I'm, err, sorry to disturb you, but remember I once saved Evin's life? Well, now I have a favour to ask of you..."

And cradling his albino child against his chest, he waited anxiously for her reply...

Manami Looked worriedly at the sleeping Eva which was curled against her, she was about to deny any help to Dark... but realized that he, after all was rigth, if he hadnt saved Evin in the first place they would have never meet.... still...

"What do you want? Can't you see my young is resting?" she said while still focusing in Eva, soon, jealousness took over her once again... she coudn't avoid the snap coment to dark and so it came... "Other than bothering you don't have any business here you sick fleabag"

"He has, and he can do whatever he wants here," a soft but deep voice sounded behind Dark, as Evin calmly sat just behind him, he had arrived a moment ago, swift, silent, almost scentless, his new abilities allowed him to do such thing, he smiled at Dark. "Hello my friend..." Definetly, his presence alone was enough as to terrify any newcomer, but something inside him, in his voice spread a sense of peace, of good.. and that cheerful aura that the eevee always had.

Dark let out his breath, unaware that he had been holding it. In another time and place, Manami might be welcome company, Dark did so love a sparring partner, but his present task was too important, his request too great, to risk it all in bitching at this femme. Although he did, for a moment, wonder if her wanted her raising his kit.

He gulped, staring nervously a little at Evin, for the Eevee had changed. He had grown in size for one thing, the little Stantler calf had not been lying. "Um, Evin, I have a great favour to ask of you. Lerla has become my mate," he stared hard and proud at Manami as he said this, feeling a little bit gloating, for he could sense that Evin had not taken her as a mate. Victory there at least. "And she has bourne me three fine, healthy and robust kits. But the fourth." He indicated the little albino. "She does not stand a chance with her stronger three siblings, all of which are strong and will be healthy adults," he glanced again at Manami, gloating a bit again. He could not help but feel smug. If only Brutus could see him now!

"Anyway, I was wondering if you might be able to help me for a few days, see, she needs milk, and well, my mate is quite occupied with feeding three kits already and will not have enough for a fourth, and she also needs the care and attention that I think only you can provide for her, Evin. You have a nurturing spirit. If you cannot help me, then I will ask you to help me find someone who can dispatch of her quickly and painlessly, for I am afraid I am too much of a weakling to do it myself." He glanced away from Manami at this. "I know this is a lot to ask, but please help me!" He did the big red- eyed look at Evin, ignoring the Nidoran femme now. He was desperate...

"Ohhhh" Manami could not help but to smile.... Dark pleading? the Dark Nidoran? Now this was amuzing...she noticed Eva walking towards Dark and pulled her back nervously and curled around her without saying a word, "and what makes you think that we'll help you?... on the other hand...." she grinned. "Slzer there could do a fast job..."

Evin placed a paw over Dark's, it could even be scary, feeling the now sharp claws in Evin's paw, silently, Evin turned to Manami... Evin merely dropped his head. "Please."

Manami cocked her head and looked up at Evin "Say what?"

Evin barely spoke "I ask you Manami, help me, help Dark, help his kit."

"But.. Evin! You don�t know what kind of..." for a change.. now Manami's words where cut short by Evin... all that could be heard was a swift impact, followed by a muffled yelp.... Manami opened her eyes in disbelief... Evin was kneeling down, in front of her, his face in the ground, he dropped himself to the floor. "I am begging to you Manami..."

"Evin... stand up.. you.. you.." She looked at Dark, then back at Evin... "How.. how can you? Evin... stand up!" Both guilt and shame rolled in her head. Evin stood up slowly and placed a paw in Dark's again and he looked at Manami.

"Dark spilled his blood to save me from the snow, he brought me to your burrow, if it weren�t because of him, I woudn�t be here.. if it�s not for him, do it for me." Evin grabbed the albino Kit from the scruff and placed her in front of Manami.

Manami looked away. "I'll take care of her.... for you Evin."

Evin beamed and lightened up "that's great! Thanks Manami!"

Manami sighed and looked at Evin... at least it was a relief that he was happy with him. Evin smiled at Dark, and he looked at Everyone else, Akima, Bracken, Milly, Slzer. "Don't worry my friend, She'll be taken care of." Evin blinked and realized the situation, a grin formed in his face and he nuzzled Dark playfully. "He he he, so now You are a father huh? That's great! Why don�t you show me the place? I'd love to see the other kits, and to greet the lucky mother!" He blinked and remembered how Lerla perhaps would not be happy to see him. "Ehh... if you want that is..."

"Thank you Evin," Dark replied, nuzzling his old friend. The two had shared so much, and Dark had never had friends before today, except for the Golduck... He wished she could see him now, she would be so proud of him! "I shall be back tomorrow to visit my little Pearl," he said, Naming her almost without realising it. "But please, do not let Lerla know what I have done, she entrusted me to despatch of the kit, and my own weakness means I've failed her. I just hope I've done the right thing."

He hopped forward and nuzzled Pearl one last time, licking her small face. "These are your new parents, Pearl, love them as I love you."

She blinked myopically at him, unaware of how close she had come to death. He finally looked up at Manami. "And thank you too," he said, sincerity in his voice, "I know we have had our differences, in the past, but I think I have grown up a lot recently. Please, look after her, at least until she is strong enough to eat plant matter."

Now he turned his attention back to Evin and the little Preevee. The presence of the young Eevee startled him, but Evin had adopted a Stantler and two Nidoran, it seemed a Preevee was not an unusual addition to a most unusual family. Made all the more unusual by the fact that Evin and Manami were not mates. He sensed some jealousy from the Preevee and laughed to himself. She obviously did not know much about Evin's true nature. And of course, then there was Eva...

"Hello little one," he greeted her, "now, you look after Pearl, okay? She needs you to be a big sister for her." And now he addressed everyone. "I'm sorry, but I don't think it's very appropriate for you to come visiting now, perhaps tomorrow afternoon I will take you there. I have a feeling Lerla and I will need some time together. And some sleep," he added ruefully.

And then he left, running as fast as his short little legs, tired as they were, could carry him. He had been away a long time and Lerla would be worrying. As he aproached the waterfall he paused to bath his horn and face in the water, such as one might were they trying to cleanse blood from their fur. Then, sorrow across his features, he re-entered his den.

"It is done," he said simply, then walking over to his mate, he rubbed his head against her solemnly. The hyperactive male kit batted at his ruff, then fell over onto his back, still rather uncoordinated...