New Additions (Part 3)

A week had passed since Espeon's kits had been born.  This meant Clover had just given the ok for Espeon and Umbreon to bring the kits outside the den and into camp for the first time.  The Clan and I had decided to each sit in a different part of camp, so that we could teach the kits what was where.  I sat atop the announcement rock and watched the log den anxiously.

From inside, I heard tiny voices.  "Come on, everyone!  This way!"

Umbreon spoke.  "One, we said you were in charge of your siblings.  That means you keep them safe and argument-free, not boss them around.  That's my and your mother's job."

What must have been One answered back.  "Sorry, Daddy..." she said shamefully.

Finally, Umbreon stepped out of the den, followed by One, Two, and Three.  Four and Five trailed cautiously after Espeon as she, too, exited the den.  Espeon looked down at the five tiny Eevees.  "All right, kits.  Look around.  See the other clan members?"

Wide eyes swept the camp, noticing the other six clan members in their various places.  Three piped up.  "We have a BIG Clan!"  I smiled warmly.

The proud parents smiled as well before Umbreon instructed them.  "They'll tell you about the camp and a little bit about themselves.  You need to know who's who and what's where."

Espeon finished his thought.  "So go ahead and explore.  Talk to everyone.  One, keep everyone together, ok?"

One smiled broadly.  "I will, Mommy!" she squeaked.

The kits began stumbling around camp, still trying to get the hang of walking quickly.  Suddenly, Four cried out.  "I see Uncle Bolt!"

"Uncle Bolt!" the rest of the kits shouted as they scampered towards their caretaker, who was sitting by the Emergency Tree.  I smiled again as Bolt nuzzled them all individually.

"Hello, kits!  I see One, the oldest and leader...  There's Two, my special shiny girl!  Hello, Three!  I think you're shinier than before!  And Four, of course, my buzzy wonder!"  He was cut off as Five leaned on his leg.  "Hi, Five.  Are you tired already?"

Five shook her head.  "No, I just love you."  My heart melted a bit more.

Bolt smiled, too.  "Ok, everyone, sit down where Two is."  There was a bit of a jostle as the kits got to their seats.  "As you know, my name is Bolt.  I am a Jolteon, an Electric Type.  I can use electricity to attack." 

There was a collective "Woah....."  One piped up.  "Can you show us?"

Without saying a word, Bolt used Thunder to strike himself squarely.  All of the kits jumped in surprise, Five falling over backward.  Bolt laughed and helped her to her paws.  "And I like to run really fast and climb trees."

After a second of recovery, Three questioned, "Is that why you're near a tree?"

"Well, this is a very important tree," Bolt explained.  "It's called the Emergency Tree.  If something happens and the Clan is in danger, I climb this tree.  I believe Espeon said that you should come with me if that happens.  There's a path on the inside of the trunk that's really easy to run up.  We'll practice later, ok?"  The kits nodded seriously.  One, Four, and Five looked a bit daunted.  "Ok," Bolt concluded.  "Go see the rest of the Clan."

The kits tottered away, drifting until they found Clover.  I hedged a guess that they were going to the familiar members first.  The Leafeon smiled as they approached.  "Hello, kits!  Do any of you remember me?"

All nodded, and Two answered.  "You're Clover, right?"

Before she could answer, Five scampered up to Clover and snuggled against her leg.  "I love you, Clover!"

Clover smiled at her cuteness and affection.  "I love you, too, Five.  I love all of you.  Ok, now sit down."  She waited patiently until everyone was seated.  "Again, my name is Clover, and I am a Leafeon."

Now One spoke up.  "Are you a plant?"

Clover laughed.  "No, but I am a Grass Type!"  She noted One's disappointed face and added, "But I can grow plants.  Watch."  She focused on the soil to the left of the group of kits.  Slowly but surely, a small berry bush sprouted from the ground and tiny Kasib Berries grew, one for each kit.

All five stared in amazement.  Finally, Three spoke.  "...Can we eat those?"

Clover smiled and shrugged, slightly exposing her wings.  None of the kits seemed to notice.  "Well, I did grow them for you!

Three's eyes went wide.  "All for me!?"

Clover shook her head in amusement as One looked at her shiny brother.  "No!  One for each of us!"

Three nodded in understanding.  All five kits chose a berry and munched happily, Three and Four staining the fur around their mouths.  I shook my head with a smile.  Were all males like that?

Clover waited until the kits had finished to speak again.  "Now, I'll tell you where everyone sleeps.  It's like their own private area.  Everyone shares a place with another Eevee.  As you know, your Mommy and Daddy sleep in that log with you," she said, gesturing to the den on the other side of the emergency tree.  "Splash and Surf sleep in the pond over there..." she said, gesturing towards the pond directly across camp from the emergency tree, "Snow and I live here," she turned to face her bush that was right next to the announcement rock, "and Bolt and Inferno sleep there," she finished, pointing towards the rock between the emergency tree and her own bush den.

Finally, Clover ushered the kits away, then looked at the berry bush that she had created.  "Now what am I going to do with this?" she muttered.

Next, the kits walked towards me.  I jumped down from the rock to greet them.  "Hello, kits!"

Five jumped up and down to see over the ears of her siblings.  "Ooh, ooh, ooh!  You're Splash, right?  I remember you!  I love you, too, Splash!"

I smiled at the small kit.  "I love you, too, Five.  Like Clover said, I love all of you."  All of the kits warmed at the sentiment.  "Anyway," I continued, "I am a Vaporeon, which is a Water Type."

Two tilted her head.  "So can you summon water?"

"Right!" I said before looking straight up and spouting water, making a neat little Vaporeon fountain.  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw One and Five playing in the spray.  After a few more seconds, I stopped.  The kits seemed disappointed.  "Personally, however, I think that this is a better party trick."  I finished my sentence, made sure I had the kits interest, and melted into a puddle.  There were many gasps.

"Where'd Splash go!?" Four shouted.

One guessed what I had done.  "I think she turned into water!"

I reformed myself, making Four jump.  "One is correct!  Vaporeons can turn themselves into water if need be.  We're also really good swimmers and can breathe underwater."

"Wow..." Five said in utter amazement.

I smiled and jumped back up onto the high rock.  "This is the announcement rock.  We tend to think of it as the head of camp, because it's directly across from the camp entrance.  When something important happens, I stand up here and tell everyone.  The rest of the Clan sits down there, where you five are."

One asked, "Do any of the other Eevees get to speak from up there?"

I looked at her.  "If I say it's ok.  It's my job to tell everyone news as Clan Leader."

Two spoke again.  "What does that mean?"

I thought for a moment before answering.  "It's like how One watches over you and Espeon and Umbreon tell you what to do.  One makes sure that you stay safe, Espeon and Umbreon make sure that you know what you're supposed to be doing.  I do that for everyone in the Clan."

The other kits nodded as Two spoke again.  "So, like One for us, but on a bigger scale and for everyone?"

"Exactly," I answered with a nod.  "Now go ahead, find the other Clan members!"

The kits stood up and trotted over to Surf, who was stationed at the pond, which was adjacent to the announcement rock.  "Hi, kits.  I'm Surf."

Five automatically said, "I love you, Surf!"  I smiled.  She was so sweet to everyone.

Four raised a paw.  "You live here with Splash, right?"

Surf nodded as Three asked another question.  "You're a Vaporeon, too, right?"

Surf nodded again.  "Right.  But I don't think Splash really showed you how we attack with and use water."  Surf started off by using Aqua Ring, creating a sphere of water around himself.  Then, he used Surf, creating a giant wave the crashed into the chilly pond.

All five kits responded unanimously.  "Wow!"

Surf turned back around and took a bow.  Then he began talking about the pond.  "As I heard Clover tell you, the pond is where Splash and I live.  However, it's not just a good sleeping place for us.  This is where the Clan gets water from.  We drink from the pond.  Which is why, in winter, it's so important to have a hole in the ice.  Splash and I can get in and out, and the other clan members can get a drink."

Two spoke up again.  "But it's winter now.  Why isn't anything frozen?"

"You can thank Inferno for that," Surf replied, gesturing towards the Flareon.  "We figured that, as this is your first time outside your den, snow and ice might be a bit of a hindrance."

"What's hindrance mean?" Three asked loudly.

"It's when something slows you down or trips you up."

"Oh."

Surf smiled.  "Now, run along, kits.  You still have two more Eevees to see!"  He shooed them away with his tail, and the kits happily scampered towards Inferno at the Prey Hole.  Surf looked up and me.  He looked exhausted already.

Inferno greeted the kits with a big, warm hug, which Five returned with her courtesy 'I love you.'  Inferno grinned at her.  "My name is Inferno!  I'm a Flareon, which is a Fire Type!"

Three called out again.  "So you attack with fire?"
"Right!" Inferno replied, briefly igniting his fur, then following up with a Flamethrower at the sky.  The kits oohed and ahhed at his display.

Two switched her ears.  "So you melted all of the snow and ice?"

Inferno puffed up his chest, obviously proud of himself.  "Yep!  That was me!"  When no one questioned him further, Inferno showed the kits the prey stores. "So this is where we keep all of our food.  We call it the Prey Hole.  Splash chooses a few Eevees to go into the forest and hunt, and they bring back yummy prey, like Pidgeys, Patrats, and Magikarps.  Then, what doesn't get eaten right away is put in here, where it will be kept fresh for a few more days.  Snow thought up the system, don't ask me how it works..."

Five spoke up.  "What about berries and things?  Do you put those here, too?"

Inferno shook his head, making his ears jerk.  Three giggled.  "Clover and Snow are in charge of the berries.  Clover grows them, and Snow keeps them fresh until we need or want them."

Five, who was still cuddled up to Inferno looked up at him.  "You're so warm and fluffy and cuddly."

Inferno seemed at a loss for words.  "Uhh...  thanks."

Luckily for the Flareon, Snow called to the kits.  "Kits!  Come over here!"  All five broke away and raced towards Snow, while Inferno stayed at the prey hole, looking a bit winded.

The sun pierced through the leaves and fell on my skin and the announcement rock.  I half closed my eyes at the welcome warmth as Snow started talking to the kits.  "My name is Snow.  I'm a Glaceon.  And before you say anything, Five, I love you, too." 

Five looked stunned.  She leaned over to One.  "How did she know?" she whispered.

Snow smiled and continued.  "Glaceons are Ice Types, so we use ice and cold a lot."  She demonstrated by summoning a small Blizzard that covered the Eevees in a bit of snow.  They seemed even more stunned. 

Two was the first to shake it off.  "So what's this part of camp?"

Snow turned towards the camp entrance.  "This is where the camp ends and the forest begins.  It's a perfect camp entrance, really, big enough for us to get in easily, small enough so that bigger predators can't get though, and easily defendable.  Now, listen very closely," she said with icy seriousness.  "None of you are allowed outside of camp until you are at least one month old.  Even then, only if you are with someone who can protect you.  One does not count," she added as One was about to ask.

"I'm telling you this for a reason.  There are Pokémon out there that could really hurt you.  There are places you could hurt yourself badly in without there being anyone to help you.  It's easy to get lost.  Promise me that you will stay in camp until Splash and your parents give you the ok."

Once again, the answer was unanimous.  "We promise."  Five looked really scared.

Snow smiled again and snuggled Five.  "It's ok.  Now, I expect you're all pretty tired, so you should probably go back to your den and take a nap."

"Ok..." most agreed.  Five let out a large yawn.

One took commend again.  "This way."  Grouping all of her siblings together, she led them back to the log den where Umbreon and Espeon were waiting.

Four, the only one who did not seem tired at all, looked at his parents.  "Can you show us what your attacks are?"

Espeon nodded.  "I'm a Psychic Type..."

"...And I'm a Dark Type," Umbreon finished.

Espeon lifted Four into the air with her telekinesis.  He let out a short yelp as his paws left the ground.  "Yaa!  Neat, now put me down."  Espeon smiled and did as he asked.  Umbreon leaped forward, and a dark hole opened up out of nowhere that was just big enough to fit into.  Umbreon jumped completely through it, vanishing completely.  He then reappeared a few seconds later, jumping back through the hole between dimensions, landing perfectly on his paws.  Four's mouth fell open.

Umbreon looked at his son and answered the question that Four was obviously thinking, despite his speechlessness.  "That was Phantom Force.  You jump into a shadowy dimension and then jump back out."

Espeon nudged her still buzzing kit.  "Come on, everyone.  Let's go inside for now."

I closed my eyes in the brilliant sunlight, relaxing and listening to the family settle down.  At one point, one kit spoke.  "Mama?"

"Yes, One?"

"Four's making me uncomfortable."

Espeon sighed.  "Four, come sleep over here."

"Ok.  Sorry, One."

I was distracted by a pair of wingbeats overheat.  I forced my eyes open to see Streak and Night settling in camp.  Night noticed me basking.  "Splash?  I know you look awfully comfortable up there, but can you come down here for a second?  I was hoping you could explain something to us."

Groaning internally, I forced my legs to work after a few unsuccessful tried.  I jumped down and padded over to the large bird Pokémon.  "What?"

Streak had a paper rolled up in his talon.  "We were flying over the big white human den, you know, just to check if things were running again?"  I nodded.  "Well, Night found this."  He unrolled the paper to show a picture.  My breath caught.

Streak looked at me carefully.  "Do you know anything about this?"

New Additions (Part 2)

I emerged from the den a few minutes later to see Surf standing staunchly in the way of the entrance to the den, and Bolt bouncing up and down in front of him.

"Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!!!!!" he whined.

Surf set his jaw.  "No!  Not until Espeon, Umbreon, and Clover give the ok!"

I chuckled as Bolt sat down.  "But I'm their caretaker!  I should deserve to be in there with them!"  He noticed me standing in the entryway.  "Splash!  At least tell me if there are any girls!"

My eye widened slightly at the thought.  Boy, are there... I thought to myself before answering.  "Yes, there are girls."  I decided not to tell him about the shiny and glowing kits as well.  I really wanted to see his reaction for myself.

His mouth fell open in a huge smile.  "Yes!  Way to go, Suicune!  Is she- wait.  Girls?"

Drat.  I had let that slip.  "Yes.  One, Two, and Five are all girls."

His eyes went wide, as did Surf's.  "Three!?" they both exclaimed at once.

Umbreon shouted from inside the den.  "No, Three is a boy!  One, Two, and Five are the girls!"

I turned around and smiled at him.  "Har har."

Surf nudged my flank, speaking as I turned back around to look at him.  "That's really amazing."

I leaned closer and barely whispered in his ear.  "You don't know the half of it.  I really want to see Bolt's reaction, though, so don't say anything."

Surf looked mystified.  "What are you saying?" he whispered back as Bolt began blasting around in tight circles to deal with the suspense of waiting.

"I'm saying..." I began mysteriously, "...that you cannot react when I tell you this."  When gave me an irritated look, I continued.  "Oh, and Two and Three are shiny."

Surf stopped breathing in an effort not to react.  "You're joking, right?"  I shook my head.  He took a few seconds before finally speaking again.  "Well, no wonder you want to see Bolt's reaction."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes later, Clover exited the den.  "Bolt, it's ok for you to come see the kits-" 

She was interrupted by Bolt bolting towards her at top speed.  Instead of sidestepping, she squared her stance and snapped one wing open, smacking the Jolteon in the face.  He was knocked over backwards and landed on his back, paws in the air.  Clover looked at her wing.  "Well.  Maybe these things have some practical uses after all."  She refolded her wing and marched over to Bolt, who was still lying on the ground with his paws to the sky, dazed.  "As long as you are slow and quiet."

He shook his head and rolled to his feet.  "Jeez...  Someone learned Wing Attack..." he muttered as he forced himself to walk slowly towards the den.  Based on the sparks jumping around his fur, he was itching with excitement.

Clover trotted over to me.  I leaned over to her without taking my eyes off of Bolt and whispered.  "Watch this."

Bolt finally reached the den entrance, stepping halfway inside.  "Hey, Espy!  I heard...."  He stopped abruptly as he looked towards here the kits were suckling with Espeon.  He blinked a few times, then turned around to face the camp and shook his head vigorously.  He then turned back into the den, blinked a few more times, before turning back around again, and shaking his head with more force.  

This went on for some time before Umbreon finally asked, "Bolt?  How long do you plan on acting like a Slowpoke with amnesia before you actually come inside and see the kits?"  I tried to resist laughter.

Bolt finally managed to step inside the den.  There was a short silence in which Clover and I crept closer to hear more.  "....I'm not dreaming, right?  Raikou's not going to come in here...?"

Umbreon's voice spoke.  "No.  You are not dreaming."

Espeon spoke sweetly and quietly.  "Bolt, this is One, Two, Three, Four, and Five."

"They're beautiful kits, Espy," Bolt said softly.

I opened my eyes on the familiar lake shore.  Suicune was already standing on the waves.  I stood up and trotted over.  "How long have you been waiting?" I asked jokingly.

The Aurora Pokémon shrugged as I slipped into the warm water.  "Not too long.  I wanted to ask how things are going in the Clan."

I grinned and splashed water at his face with my tail.  "This is the fourth night in a row that you've been here!  You're just as anxious as the rest of us!"

He shook his head, scattering the water droplets.  "I am not anxious, I am concerned.  Did Espeon's eggs hatch yet?"

I almost decided to keep him waiting a bit longer.  Then I remembered that he was a Legendary.  Right.  "Yes.  All five of them are fine.  Some more than fine."

Suicune sighed in relief.  "And what of the radioactive egg?"

I dove under for a second before resurfacing.  "Four?  He's fine.  He glows and has a weird energy field or something around him, but he's fine."

Suicune looked off into the distance.  "The good news about that is, you are correct.  He will be fine.  The bad news is, he may cause damage to those affected by his...  What did you call it?  Energy field if exposed for too long.  Espeon and Bolt should be immune to it, but..." he trailed off.

"Possibly Inferno, too," I shrugged.  "He's picked up an electrical resistance from sharing a den with Bolt."

The water Legendary shook his head.  "This kind of energy is akin to electricity, but is not one and the same.  Bolt is immune because it's close enough, but someone like Inferno, with an acquired resistance?"

I winced.  "Not as much?"

"Not at all," Suicune corrected.  Umbreon is not immune, either, but he may build up an immunity."

I nodded seriously.  "I'll tell him to be careful."

Suicune forced a smile onto his usually serious face.  "And what of the other kits?  With the luck I gave you, I'm guessing at least two of them were girls."

"Three," I corrected.  "One, Two, and Five are girls."

"That's nice."

"Oh, and Two and Three are shiny."

"Really?" he said with an ounce of surprise.  That was very unusual.  Suicune, surprised?

I pushed that fact aside and informed the now Luck Bearer.  "Yeah.  Espeon now has a shiny girl kit."

He smiled genuinely now.  "That's good to hear.  It seems as if I may have given her more luck than I intended to."

I barked a laugh.  "Apparently!

He moved into a trot, making me swim faster to keep up.  "And what of Clover?  Last I heard, she discovered that she had wings?"

"Yeah..." I muttered, trying to find a constant pace.  "The good news is, she's finally accepted them.  The bad news is, she is the absolute worst flier that I have ever seen."

"Hm," Suicune said, with a hint of a chuckle.  "It makes sense.  Most bird Pokémon possess the knowledge to fly from hatching, they just need to find the instinct that tells them how.  Clover, however, being a Leafeon, would have no intuition or instincts about flight whatsoever."

"Yeah," I muttered.  "It's pretty apparent.  The problem is, she wants to keep it a secret.  I've offered to ask Streak and Night- you know, the Staraptors?"

He nodded.  "I remember them.  Very helpful."

"Yeah, them.  I asked Clover if she wanted them to teach her, but she was all kinds of against the idea."

Suicune looked away with a ghost of a smile.  "Oh, I'm sure she'll change her mind in a few days."

I looked up at my idol and friend.  "What does that mean?"  Instead of answering, he showed me a side of him that almost no one ever sees: his playful side.  He grinned mischievously at my question and then raced off across the lake at top speed.  "Come back here!!" I shouted.

"I'll tell you if you catch me!" he called back.

New Additions (Part 1)

Two days had passed since the ice sculpture competition.  Clover had still not made any progress in learning to fly on her own.  To be perfectly honest, she was the worst flier I had ever seen in my life.  I had a good view of her practices from the edge of the pond.

Snow stood in front of Clover, determination written all over her face.  "Ok.  Let's try another ground takeoff.  They're a lot safer."

Clover nodded, then opened her wings and began to pump them as hard as she could.  Flapping her wings was about the only thing she had learned to do.  She kicked up more and more dirt and dust with each flap, but each time getting her another inch off of the ground.   However, as she was about one tail length up, she folded her wings and fell back to the ground.  "I'm sorry, Snow..." she panted.  "I can't do it...  This is hard..."

Snow shook her head.  "You CAN do it, you just don't know how..."

Clover got to her paws, still panting heavily.  "Well, how can I learn!?  I mean... it's not like I can just... ask another winged Leafeon!  I'm pretty sure I'm the only one!" she shouted, wincing a bit as she spoke.

Snow stepped over and leaned against her friend comfortingly.  "Hey, it's ok.  You'll figure this out."

I pulled myself from the water, not bothering to shake myself off.  "What if we ask a bird Pokémon to teach you?"

Clover's eyes went wide.  "No!  Having you guys look at me funny was bad enough.  Having a complete stranger look at me that way?"  She sighed and looked at her paws.

I thought about it.  It made sense, but still.  "What if it was a bird Pokémon that you know?  Like Streak or Night?"

Clover shook her head.  "Still weird."

Snow looked at me and shrugged.  "I've already asked these questions.  She wants to keep this a secret."

I nodded.  "I get that.  Sorry, Clover."

She nodded.  "It's fine, Splash.  You just wanted to help."

Bolt's voice called across camp.  "Splash?  Can you come here?  Inferno's on watch and I have no one to talk to."

I sighed with a smile, trotting over to the Jolteon as Clover resumed her flight attempts.  "What's up, Bolt?"

He smiled at my approach and sat down next to the prey pile.   He pulled out a Pidgey for himself and a fat Magikarp for me.  I nodded thanks and sat down next to him as he started speaking.  "Splash, I'm trying to think of names for Espeon's kits, but I can't come up with anything good."

I smiled at him.  "While that's a really nice gesture, that's not how it works."

He tilted his head in confusion.  "It's not?"

I shook my head.  "Think about all of our names.  We picked them ourselves once we figured out what we wanted to evolve into.  It's the same principle for Espeon's kits.  Hypothetically speaking, they've just hatched!  They don't know what they want to be yet!  How can you give them a name that reflects them if they don't know?"

He shrugged in confusion.  "I guess...  But then...  what do we call them until they decide?"

I took another bite of my Magikarp.  "Generally, you name them by number.  In this case, they would be One, Two, Three, Four, and Five, in the order that they hatch.

Bolt looked away, in deep thought.  "Huh.  That actually makes a lot of sense."  He looked back at me and nodded.  "That's a very good idea.  But what if one of them wants to stay an Eevee?"

I shrugged.  "Same thing.  When they make that decision, and it's final, they pick a name for themselves based on their choice."

"Huh," Bolt shrugged before finally tearing into his Pidgey.  "Haf's a goo spysptem," he said with his mouth full.

I rolled my eyes.  "I need to go and talk to the happy couple.  I've finished my Magikarp anyway.  Thanks, Bolt."

"Aee time."

I shook my head at his horrid eating habits and stepped into Espeon and Umbreon's log den.  "Espy?  Umbreon?"

Umbreon met me in the entrance with a huge smile plastered on his face.  "Hey Splash!  Espeon says the eggs could hatch today!"

My mouth fell open.  "Really!?  Congrats, Espeon!"

She smiled warmly at me, still curled up around her eggs.  "I know.  Isn't it exciting?"

I nodded enthusiastically.  "It is!  I can hardly believe it!"

Umbreon walked up next to me.  "Though I suspect you came for another reason?"

I shook my head to clear it, spraying a bit of water by accident.  "Right.  I spoke to Suicune last night.  He said that he has overloaded your eggs with luck to get that one to survive.  He knows how important they are to you two."

Both visibly sagged with relief upon hearing the news.  Espeon looked up again first.  "Tell him that we said 'thank you' the next time you talk to him."

I nodded.  "I will."

Umbreon was practically bouncing on his paws, much like Bolt usually did.  "I just can't believe we're going to have kits!  Five no less- did that egg just jump?" he said, suddenly frozen in place.

All three pairs of eyes were suddenly glued to the eggs.  Just when I thought Umbreon was getting overly excited, sure enough, one of the eggs jerked a bit, followed by another.

Espeon's happy vibes were almost overpowering me as I spun towards the entrance.  "CLOVER!!" I screeched with excitement and glee.

Less than ten seconds later, Clover was standing over Espeon, ready to help the newborn kits, and everyone else was clamoring outside the den, including Inferno.  I was pushing everyone back.  Surf seemed to be the only one who was keeping his head.  "Surf!" I called.  He looked up upon hearing my voice.  "Can you keep everyone else away?  Clover says that we need quiet!"

"Rodger!" he called back before leaping into the fray, pushing everyone away with his tail and shoulders.  "Back up!  Back up!  The kits need quiet!  Inferno!  Get back to your post!"

"Half of our Clan is already in there!" Inferno shouted back.

Surf narrowed his eyes.  "Half of our Clan NEEDS to be in there!  Now get back to the lookout post!"

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the eggs.  Espeon was still curled around them, making sure that she and Umbreon were the first ones that the kits would see.  In what felt like an eternity of ever-quieting Eevees outside and ever-increasing tension inside, one of the eggs finally splintered, cracked, and hatched into a tiny bundle of fluff.

Espeon was on the kit in an instant, licking it comfortingly as it squeaked.  "Hello, One," she said, her voice filled with emotion, which we could all feel in the den.

The kit's eyes just opening, it saw its mother and father, both on the verge of tears.  There was a short silence, and then...  "Mommy?"  My heart stopped working for a few seconds at the cuteness.

Espeon and Umbreon leaned forward and nuzzled the new kit.  Espeon spoke again.  "Yes, sweetie.  Daddy's here, too.  We love you very much."

The tiny Eevee squeaked in delight again.  I finally managed to break out of my stupor.  "Clover, here.  Check it over."

She nodded, getting various herbs and plants into neat piles, just in case.  "You can do a gender check, Splash."

Umbreon took a step back and looked at me as I gently leaned over and picked the kit up.  My eyes went wide.  "It's a girl!"

Squeals of delight ensued at the excitement of having the first kit be a girl.  Suicune really meant it when he said 'kit luck.'  I carefully brought One to Clover, who smiled uncontrollably.  "Hello, One, you sweet little girl!" she said quietly.  The Leafeon did a quick check-up as the second egg started to hatch.  "One looks good!"

As the second egg started to crack, a tear slipped out of Espeon eyes.  We all jumped and took a step back as the egg cracked open a bit more, and a fluffy, grey-blue tail stuck out.  "It's shiny!" I managed to get out before this kit hatched as well.

Umbreon managed to find his voice first.  "Two, you beautiful baby!"  As with the first kit, both parents snuggled Two close. 

And, as before, the tiny shiny kit squeaked its first word.  "Mommy!"  The kit then looked at Umbreon and squeaked again.  "Daddy!"

Espeon hugged the kit close.  "Beautiful and smart!"  She finally let me pick the kit up to bring to Clover.

The second shock came as I checked for gender.  "She's a girl, too!"  Everyone else was as stunned as I was.  A shiny girl Eevee!?  What were the odds!?

I gently handed her to Clover, still trying to get my mind around the facts.  Clover nosed the kit and started her check-up.  "You are a very, very, special girl, Two!" she murmured.

As the third egg started to hatch, I thought I had seen it all.  That is, until another shiny Eevee fell out of the eggshell.  Umbreon's eyes went even wider than they were before.  "Arceus save me!" he said in disbelief.

Espeon hugged the other shiny kit close as well.  "Hello, Three!  You're shiny like your sister!"

This time, the kit squeaked, "Twee!" in an effort to say its name.

I waited for Espeon and Umbreon to let go of the kit before I picked it up.  "This one's a boy!" I called, somewhat in relief.

Clover shook her head, trying to comprehend what was happening.  "Two shiny kits in one litter...  I'm not dreaming, right?

"Pretty sure you're not..." I muttered as Three scratched my fins by mistake.

"Hello, Three, you shiny boy, you!" Clover said happily as she checked over the third kit.  There was a short period of silence until another egg hatched.  To everyone's surprise, it was the glowing one.  Clover muttered as the shell flaked away.  "I swear to Arceus, if this one's a shiny, too..."

However, it seems that, whatever Clover was planning on finishing her sentence with, she didn't have to carry out as a brown-fluffed Eevee emerged.  Well, almost brown.  I tilted my head.  "Is... that kit glowing?"

Umbreon seemed just as confused as Espeon pulled the kit closer to her.  "I think so...  I think it's humming a bit, too..."

Espeon didn't look away from the kit.  "I don't care.  Four is perfect in my eyes."  Umbreon nodded in agreement and snuggled the kit for a few seconds before letting me pick Four up by the ruff.

"He's a boy!" I announced, bringing him to Clover to look at. 

Clover smiled as I gently placed him down.  "I think Suicune gave the kits just enough luck to get Four here to survive..."

I looked at her.  "Just enough?  We have two girls and two shinies, one of which is both!"

Clover nodded.  "Fair point."

As the fifth and final egg began to hatch, I felt a bit... buzzy around my mouth, where I had made contact with Four.  The feeling went away after about 30 seconds, but it was still strange nonetheless.  Even Clover seemed puzzled.  Judging by the way she was shaking her paws and head, she felt it, too.

It seemed as if the fifth kit was having difficulty.  It kept on trying to get out of the shell, but seemed to be getting more and more tired.  Finally, Umbreon stepped over and helped Five out.  The final kit was brown, like One and Four.  She was a bit smaller than the others, and seemed more delicate.  Espeon pulled the kit close.  "Welcome to the world, Five."

Five responded in kind.  "Mommmmy...  M sleeeppy..."  My heart melted.

Espeon snuggled Five closer as Umbreon joined her.  "I know, baby...  you can nap in just a bit..."

Finally, the proud parents let me pick Five up.  "She's a girl!" I announced as the kit slowly fell asleep while hanging.

Umbreon smiled.  "She's perfect."

Another happy tear rolled down Espeon's cheek.  "They all are."

Clover's Gift (Part 3)

"ATTENTION ALL EEVEES!" Snow called loudly from a dramatic cliff top made entirely out of ice.  "LET THE ANNUAL WINTER GLACEON ICE SCULPTURE COMPETITION...  BEGIN!!" she concluded as loudly as she could.

Surf and I immediately ran to out giant block of ice.  Snow had made the ice and Clover had cut it using Leaf Blade.  The Clan was split into pairs, with Snow and Clover being the judges.  Naturally, Surf and I had chosen to be partners.  Now we just needed an idea of what to make.  We were on the clock.  The contest ended at noon.  While the sun was barely up now, everyone knew from last year that it's not as much time as you think.

I circled the block of ice.  "I don't think we have enough ice to create our original idea."

Surf met me on the other side.  "You're right...  New plan.  ...We could do just Suicune?"

I shook my head.  "No, I think the judges would kind of be expecting that...  We need something original."

"Like what?" Surf asked, slightly edgy.  Espeon and Umbreon had already started on theirs.

I tried to think as fast as I could.  "What about...  Hm...  It needs to be something that we can sculpt with water...."

Surf nodded thoughtfully.  "So preferably no jagged edges..."

We both thought in silence for a few minutes before I slapped my tail on the frost-covered ground with an idea.  "Inferno and the human kit!"

"Perfect!" Surf grinned.  Together we attacked the ice block with Iron Tail and Stone Edge, smashing away at the unnecessary pieces of ice.  Slowly, a figure began to emerge.

I looked at Surf as we started to get more cautious with our attacks.  "Don't forget that, if things go wrong, Surf and Blizzard combo!"

Surf nodded.  A shouting match began over at Block 2, where Bolt and Inferno were working.  Like ours, a very rough figure was emerging from the ice, but progress on it had halted.  Bolt and Inferno were shouting at each other.

"We're doing Raikou," Bolt said firmly.

"No, Entei," Inferno challenged.

"Raikou."

"Entei."

"Raikou!"

"Entei!"

"RAIKOU!"

"ENTEI!"

"RAIKOU!"

"ENTEI!"

"Neither!"

"Fine!"

And just like that, they went back to work.

I laughed at their antics before returning to our own sculpture.  The shapes were becoming more defined, and soon, we had to switch from Rock and Steel moves to Water moves.  Inferno's tail, unsurprisingly, was one of the biggest parts of the sculpture.  It was fairly easy to make, due to the shape.  Surf had the brilliant idea of using Aqua Ring for the rounded edges of our sculpture.

He shrugged as he stood on my back to carve the tail.  "It's warm water.  It'll melt it slower and safer than Surf would."

I nodded, trying to steady my shoulders.  "Fair point.  ...Ok, get down, you're getting heavy."

"Sorry," he said and he jumped down.  In the corner of my eye, I could see Bolt using Extreme Speed to chip away at the finer details while Inferno used Flamethrower from a distance.  Looking in the other direction, I saw Espeon and Umbreon using telekinesis to chip steadily away at their sculpture.  I shook my head and focused on our own creation.  It was coming along nicely, but we were having a few problems with the human kit.  Surf looked at me.  "Time check?"

I glanced at the sun.  "About 10:00 or so.  We have about two hours left."

Surf narrowed his eyes in deep thought.  "That should be just long enough to work out the details."

I nodded seriously and got back to work.

Snow looked down at Clover, who was using Leaf Blade to add finer points on their just-for-fun sculpture of a Braviary catching a Remoraid.  "Clover.  Come look."  Clover nodded and bounded up to the ice cliff where Snow was sitting, now looking like she was fully recovered.  Snow nodded towards the in-progress sculptures.  "Look what everyone is doing."

Clover tilted her head and tried to figure out what was what.  "Block 1 looks like...  a Flareon and... something else that they're working on.  Block 2....  is that a bird?"

Snow narrowed her eyes.  "I think so."

Clover shrugged, still trying to get used to the sound her wings made when she did.  She really had to watch that.  What if she were to shrug when a customer was here?  She shook her head to clear her thoughts.  "And...  I don't know what Block 3 is."

Snow shrugged.  "I think Espeon put a shield around it so that no one could tell what it was."

Clover tried to peer harder at it, to no avail.  "They must have a really good idea."

I backed away from out sculpture, just as Snow called time.  I glanced in Surf's direction.  "Think we've got it?"

He looked back at me before returning his gaze to the sculpture.  "It looks pretty good to me."

I nodded as the judges approached.  "Let's hope for the best."  Our sculpture ended up being the human kit hugging Inferno with its hands buried in the ice Flareon's fur collar.  This decision was a result of Surf breaking the kit's fingers more times than I could count.

Snow and Clover sat down in front of our sculpture.  Snow spoke to Clover, who was marking things on a frost-covered leaf.  "Block 1, sculpted by Splash and Surf, Inferno and the Human Kit."

Inferno whipped around.  "What!?  Hey!!"

I smiled, trying to resist laughter as Snow continued.  "Good craftsmanship, creative technique, original work."  Clover marked things on her leaf.  I thumped my tail on the ground in excitement.

Clover nodded and looked up.  "Got it.  Next!"  The two of the marched over to Bolt and Inferno's sculpture, which was also quite impressive.

The pair of judges sat down again.  Clover got her leaf out again as Snow dictated.  "Block 2, sculpted by Bolt and Inferno, Articuno.  Mediocre craftsmanship-"

Bolt interrupted her.  "That was Inferno's fault.  He tripped."

Snow ignored him and continued.  "...creative technique, original work."

Surf leaned over to me as Clover finished marking things down.  "I think we're winning."

I smiled at him as Snow and Clover moved to the final sculpture.  I still couldn't see what it was.  "Block 3, sculpted by Espeon and Umbreon..."

Espeon removed the psychic barrier concealing the sculpture.  Everyone gasped.  Snow finally managed to finish talking.  "...Clover's Gift."

 

Bolt bounced up and down with excitement.  "Come on come on come on!  I wanna see!"

 

Clover looked very nervous as she followed the bouncing Jolteon towards his emergency tree.  I looked at Espeon.  "Congrats on winning, by the way.  I never got to tell you in person."

 

She smiled.  "Thank you, Splash."

 

"And thank you for giving Clover the courage to do this."

 

Espeon smiled again.  "She just needed to accept it, and I helped her get there with my sculpture."

 

I nodded, then trotted over to Clover.  "Hey.  You sure you want to do this?"

 

She nodded nervously, but astutely.  "Yes.  I have them... and they're not going away any time soon...  so...  why not use them?" she said quietly.  "Like Snow said.  Don't curse the darkness.  Light a candle.  I mean..."  She paused, trying to find words.  "I mean..." she said in barely more than a whisper.  "...why Dig when I can Fly?"

 

However, as Clover soon found out, wings do not a Flying Type make.

 

Clover's jump from the top of the tree was fine, but her first problem was opening her wings.  Once she had that figured out, her "flight" became a rapid decent, shaky flight, and random turns.  Within seconds, everyone was shouting instructions.

 

"Extend you wings farther!"

 

"Tilt to the side!"

 

"Look out for the tree!"

 

"Lift one wing!"

 

"Angle your wings!"

 

"Flap!"

 

"Be careful!"

 

"Go higher!"

 

Finally, Snow entered as the voice of reason.  "Clover!  You're close to the ground!  Fold your wings!"

 

Clover responded immediately, relaxing her shoulders and snapping her wings back to her sides.  She dropped out of the air, plummeting towards the ground.  Espeon, always thinking, grabbed Inferno with telekinesis and threw him into Clover's path, causing a much less catastrophic crash.

 

"OW!" Inferno yelled.  "Come on!  What am I, an air bag!?"

 

Clover slid off of him, no injuries sustained to either of them.  "Sorry, Inferno!"

 

"I wasn't talking to you!" he shouted, looking at Espeon.

 

She only shrugged.  "You were the closest thing I could find.  I reacted."

 

Clover stood up and shook herself off.  "I guess I can't actually fly yet, then."

 

I thought.  How was she going to learn how to fly?  "Um...  Does anyone here know how to fly?



Clover's Gift (Part 2)

I raced alongside Snow through the frost-covered forest, dashing through bushes, past trees, over logs, and over a frozen stream.  I looked at the Glaceon.  It was painfully obvious that Clover didn't care where she was going, as long as it was away.  "Snow, you should probably talk to her first!  She trusts you!"

Snow hung her head.  "Maybe..."  We pelted on for a few more seconds before Snow started to slow down.  "She's close."

I slowed my pace as well, matching Snow until we were walking.  Neither of us said anything, listening for the distressed Leafeon.  Snow stopped completely, holding her tail up for me to do the same.  I closed my eyes and listened, being not as sharp of hearing as Snow, though it wasn't by much.  Sure enough, I dimly heard sobs and grunting.  It was definitely Clover.

I let Snow take the lead again, her pawsteps practically silent on the snowy floor.  I could almost see her mind working to come up with perfect things to say.  She stopped as Clover came into view.

She was hiding in a large bush, visible to us through the hole she had obviously made when crashing through it.  Tears ran from her eyes and she sobbed quietly, lying on the ground.  As we watched, she stood up, stretched her wings open, then twisted her head around, sinking her teeth into the base of her wing and pulling as hard as she could, wincing with each tug.  The skin around the joint as already red and swollen from the yanking that she had already done.  She was trying to pull her wings off.

I didn't have to say anything.  Snow flew from where she was standing, leaving me behind as she ran to her best friend.  "Clover, stop!  Please stop!"  Clover jumped at her friend's voice, letting go of her wing.  It snapped back into place against her side, with only the irritated skin to mark where it was.  She said nothing as Snow skidded to a halt in front of her.  "Please don't hurt yourself, Clover.  I didn't mean to look at you like that, and I'm very sorry that I did, but it was so sudden, and please don't hate me, and..." she trailed off, looking at the damage that Clover had done.

Clover looked at what she had done to herself and hung her head.  "...No, I was the one who overreacted.  You're right...  And I don't hate you at all, Snow.  How could I?"  She shrugged as she spoke, opening her wings a tiny bit before they retracted.  "I was scared and confused and upset and...  I just wanted these gone," she said angrily, looking at her concealed wings.

Snow smiled.  "Do you remember what you first told me when we met?"  Clover shook her head.  "I was stuck in a tree after a Hitmonchan chased me there?  You saw me and said 'don't curse the darkness.  Light a candle.'  I must have found 20 pounds of apples up there, thanks to you!"

Clover smiled as well.  "We never left each other's sides since..."

In the moments of silence that followed, I walked up to the pair.  "Clover, don't be upset over something that you can't change.  No matter how hard you try," I said, looking back at her swollen wing joint.  "They're a part of you now.  You have to learn to accept that.  We were just surprised when we saw them, that's all.  I mean, think about it.  How would you react if I suddenly sprouted wings without warning or explanation?"

Clover thought about it for several seconds before answering reproachfully.  "...Probably the same way...  I'm sorry.  I may not like them, but..."  She trailed off as she spotted some of the marks on Snow's hind paw from the grass knot.  "What happened there?"

Snow looked away.  "You were scared when you ran away like that."

Clover tilted her head.  "And?"

Snow sighed.  "You kind of... Grass Knotted me and completely tied up the rest of the Clan with thick vines."

Clover's eyes went wide.  "I did?  I'm so sorry, Snow, Splash, I didn't mean to!  Honestly, I didn't!"

I smiled.  "We didn't think you did.  Not even for a second."

Clover sighed in relief.  Warm silence filled the air, despite the frigid temperature.  Eventually, Clover looked at the two of us.  "How did you guys find me out here?  I'm not even sure where we are."  Snow said nothing, only lifting Clover's Snow Day present with her paw.  Clover smiled.

The moment was ruined by Bolt zooming up to us at top speed, then crashing into Snow as he tried to stop.  "Sorry!" he yelled as she and Snow got to their paws.

I looked at the hyperactive Jolteon in shock.  "Bolt, I told you to stay in camp!"

Bolt was panting heavily but quickly as he answered.  "Sorry, Splash.  Had to defy orders.   By the way.  Sorry, Clover.  About what I said.  I didn't think.  I just said it.  Sorry.  Didn't mean to upset you."

Clover nodded.  "It's fine, Bolt.  I was scared.  You're right that you shouldn't have said it, but-"

Bolt cut her off.  "That's great, thanks.  Splash?  Just thought you might want to know.  Espeon's laying her eggs."

 

 

"WHAT!?" Clover screeched.  "I need to be with her!  She needs the Clan healer!" she shouted before leaping to her feet and racing away at top speed.

 

I called after her.  "Clover!  The camp is THAT way!"  She spun around and followed Snow, Bolt and me as we ran at full tilt back to camp. 

 

Bursting through the camp entrance, we were greeted by the sight of practically the entire Clan's backsides.  Everyone had their heads stuck in Espeon's and Umbreon's log den!  I took charge of the situation.  "Everyone, back up!  Give her space!"

 

Clover, though winded, joined in.  "Everyone out!  Make a path!"  Everyone acted like they had been caught doing something illegal.  Surf jumped away and dove into the pond, Inferno skittered away and tried to act innocent, and Umbreon just dove into the den with Espeon.

 

Clover trotted over to the den as Bolt dashed away and tackled Inferno, while Snow sat by the log den, waiting for Clover.  I stood by the camp entrance and listened to Clover's voice, just barely audible in the log den.  "Hey, Espy.  You feel ok?"

 

Espeon's voice responded.  "A little stressed, but happier now that you seem to be feeling better."

 

Clover spoke with a touch of trepidation.  "Well...  I'm not the happiest about having wings, but there were more pressing matters.  Umbreon, I'm sorry, I know you're concerned, but you have to wait outside."

 

Umbreon's protesting voice reached my ears.  "But I have to stay with Espeon!"

 

"I know you want to, Umbreon, but it's better for Espeon if there are less Eevees in a small space like this."

 

"But I-"

 

"Please get out."

 

"But-"

 

"OUT!"

 

"Ok, ok!" Umbreon yelled as he was practically shoved out of his den.  I couldn't help but chuckle. 

 

Umbreon heard me and walked in my direction.  "Not funny, Splash."

 

I smiled.  "Actually, yeah, just a little."

 

Umbreon sat next to me and looked sulkily at his den.  "I thought less than 10 minutes ago, she ran off crying and tied the Clan up with vines," he muttered.

 

I shrugged.  "Well, I think this distracted her.  She was starting to cool down when Bolt showed up and drew her attention elsewhere.  She's warming up to it, but it'll be a bit before she accepts the fact that she has wings."

 

Umbreon closed his eyes.  "I hope Espy's ok."

 

I nodded reassuringly.  "She'll be fine.  With a healer like Clover at her side, I don't think anything could happen to her."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

After a tense hour, during which everyone tried to go about their normal activities, Clover stepped out of Espeon's den.  "Umbreon, you can come back inside no-"  She was cut off as Umbreon practically ran her over in a mad dash to see Espeon.

 

Inferno and Bolt looked miffed.  Umbreon's unfinished Pidgey lay next to them, exactly where it was when Umbreon was eating it less than 5 seconds ago.  Bolt had his mouth open to say something to Umbreon, but now seemed frozen in place.  Inferno spoke instead.  "Well, that was rude."

 

I shook my head at them.  "Leave him alone.  He's just worried about his mate."

 

"Splash!"  Clover's voice called from Umbreon's and Espeon's den.  "Come here!  I need you to look at something!"

 

I furrowed my brow.  What did that mean?  Nonetheless, I trotted over to investigate.  "What's up?" I asked as Clover beckoned me in.

 

Clover followed me inside.  "Look."  I scanned the den.  Umbreon was sitting vigilantly next to a sleeping Espeon, who was gently curled around five eggs. 

 

I gasped.  "Congratulations, Umbreon!  You're a father!" I said quietly.  He flicked his tail happily, but I could tell that something was pulling at his attention.  "What's the matter?"

 

He shook his head as Clover stepped over to the eggs.  "Splash, look."  Clover said, carefully moving one of the eggs into the light.

 

"It looks fine," I said quietly, trying to find the problem.

 

Clover nodded.  "It looks normal in the light.  But look what happens when it's in the dark."  Clover once again, Clover gently moved the egg into the shadows.  Suddenly, the green spots on the egg were glowing a soft green, giving off a light of its own.  I narrowed my eyes in confusion.  Clover pushed it back to Espeon.  "What does it mean?"

 

I thought hard.  "You know, Suicune said that Raikou told him that something was wrong with one of the kits.  I don't know if it'll survive or not, but..."

 

Umbreon shook his head.  "It'll be ok, though, right?"

 

I shrugged.  "Maybe.  I could talk to him again.  He might know.  I'll ask Bolt to do the same with Raikou."

 

Umbreon nodded.  "It is getting late."

 

Clover nodded.  "I can't believe all this happened in one day..."  She was right.  The presents and holly berries of this morning seemed days away now.

 

I nodded at the others.  "I think Espeon has the right idea.  I'll turn in and ask Suicune about that egg."

 

Umbreon sighed in relief.  "Thank you, Splash.  Good night."