"MAMA!" peeped little Gavin.
Everyone looked as the small ball of feathers as he got up and clumsily waddled to Roxas. Strangely though he tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. Skipper, Kowalski, and rico looked at him with concern. private and chelinka both gasped, looking at him with great worry . Mizuki crossed her flippers and leaned on the wall, her face showing worry but with a small smile and a kind, humorous gaze. Uxie showed a little more concern then Mizuki's, but her eyes flashed with compassion. Roxas cocked her head with her beak slightly opened with a frown. Her eyes showing worry. But to skipper, Kowalski, rico, private, and chelinka's surprise and relief, Gavin immediately pushed himself up and dashed to his mother and hugged her belly as if nothing happened.
"I really wish Gavin would stop scaring me like that, every time…" chelinka sighed as she relaxed. Private looked at her, his flippers over his chest.
"Every time?" he repeated.
Kowalski looked at her as well. "Does this happen a lot?" he asked.
Mizuki, still leaning on the wall beat chelinka to the answer.
"Yeah, the little ball of down tends to fall, hurt himself, and or put himself in a pickle." she then turned her gaze to chelinka.
"Chi Chi, he's been like that since he hatched two years ago, You got to chill."
"Chi Chi?" the boys asked confused.
"That's my nickname." chelinka answered. "And I know, but I just cant help it." she told mizuki.
"Oh dearest, you're beak will be flat if you keep falling." roxas told her son.
Her loving gaze on the child. Gavin opened his beak and jumped.
"AAH! AAH!"
"All right, all right." roxas said as she gagged making the fish she consumed rise to her beak. The boys looked away as she fed Gavin. Ponyo waddled over to her small family and ate as well. When the disturbing moment was over skipper looked at the clock. His eyes widened. The zoo was about to open!
"Top side people! The humans are coming!" he yelled.
Everyone was outside just as Alice opened the zoo gates.
"Stupid annoying visitors, stupid animals." she mumbled.
"Bitch." mizuki replied.
"MIZUKI!" roxas growled as she covered her kids ears just in time.
As soon as the gates opened the penguin habitat was surrounded. Apparently word got out about the new penguins.
"AWW! Look at the babies!"
"Why are they wearing bandanas and jewelry?"
"Their so pretty!"
"Oh my god! So cute!"
"Cute and cuddly team." skipper and roxas said in sink. They looked at each other strangely. Soon the air was filled with 'awes'. roxas was preening ponyo while Gavin stared at the adeance with big blue eyes. Mizuki and uxie were splashing in the water with rico and Kowalski. Private was belly sliding and skipper was waving.
"Nothing like the sound of happy humans in the morning." skipper said to himself. He suddenly felt something nudging his left flipper. He looked but saw nothing.
"AH!"
He looked down and to his surprise was Gavin. Gavin looked up at him, his big bright blue eyes twinkling with wonder and curiosity. A big smile on his slightly opened beak. Skipper looked at him with his eyebrows raised, not really sure what to do and confused as to why the boy was next to him."I!" Gavin peeped.
"Uhh, Hi?" skipper awkwardly replied, he shifted his eyes to see if anyone one of the girls were coming to get Gavin. None of them were. His gaze returned to the boy. Gavin pointed at him.
"Da-dada?"
Skipper eyes grew to full moons. Did he just call him dada?! Skipper jumped back only to have Gavin fill the space between them.
"Dada?" he peeped again.
Skipper shook his head so fast that it would fall off if it could.
"No! no! no! no! no! no! no! no!" skipper yelped at the kid. Gavin stood there and stared. Skipper began to relax thinking he understood. But he was wrong. Gavin suddenly tackled skipper and hugged his belly like he did with roxas.
"Dada!" he peeped with glee. He then closed his eyes and nuzzled his face agenst skipper's belly, releasing a joyful sigh. Skipper stared at him terrified. Gavin really thought skipper was his father!
("HE THINKS IM HIS DAD?! OH MY FUCKING GOD!) skipper screamed in his head. He gently grabbed Gavin's head to make him look at him.
"L-l-listen kid! I-im not your dad!" he stuttered, trying to stay calm.
"My name is Skipper."
Gavin tipped his head to the left. His eyes full of confusion.
"S-si-sima?" he tried to pronouns.
"Skipper." skipper said his name again slowly.
"Ski-skip-ski-" Gavin tried.
"Skipper." skipper said slowly again, pointing to himself. Gavin was getting closer! For some strange reason that filled skipper with excitement. But not like the excitement when he was fighting or on missions. It was a type of excitement he never felt before. Gavin looked at skipper his eyes shining with great determination.
"Ski-skipp-skipper!" Gavin said. Skipper's eyes sparkled. he did it! Gavin said his name! Gavin pointed at him.
"Skipper." Gavin said again.
A large smile grew on skipper's face. He was happy, but he was also confused. He didn't know why but he didn't just feel happy. He felt overjoyed! Strangely, each time Gavin got closer to saying his name, his heart swelled with pride. when Gavin did it his heart just burst with pride! This scared skipper a little. But if he just ignored it, it would go away like the other strange feelings he had in the past. Skipper rubbed Gavin's head in a father like manner.
"Great job! You did it!"
Gavin laughed as he clapped and jumped in front of skipper. Skipper chuckled.
"AAW!" the humans replied from the sight.
Gavin then got a goofy grin and pointed at skipper.
"SIPPY!"
Skippers eyes widened again.
"WHAT!?" he yelled at the boy. The other penguins looked at them. Gavin then started to back up and with great force dived in between skipper's legs. Beak first.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
skipper screamed in pain as Gavin's sharp beak hit the place where you don't want to be hit. The other penguins cringed except mizuki, hiding her smile with her flipper. Gavin's small head popped out and looked up at skipper. Skipper looked down at him with the same face he had when he broke his wing and Kowalski hit it when they were playing volleyball. Gavin gasped as he realized what he did. He frowned, his eyes watering, they were full of shame and sorrow.
"Me bad….bad Gavin…" he choked as a single tear threatened to fall from his sapphire eyes. Skippers eyes widened.
"No!" he wheezed. Gavin looked at him sniffing.
"Good Gavin!" he wheezed. "He,he he!" skipper tried to laugh with a crooked smile
"Sippy no mad?" Gavin sniffled.
Skipper twitched at what he was about to say.
"Sippy no mad." skipper told the hatchling between his feet.
Gavin smiled, his shame and sorrow vanishing.
"YAY! YAY! SIPPY NO MADDY! YAY! YAY! YAY!" Gavin cheered.
Skipper smiled at Gavin. Gavin smiled at skipper.
"Tee hee!"
"He he he!"
"Ppppppfffffff!"
Skipper's smile immidetly vanished. He flicked his head to the others to find them trying to muffle, silens, and hide their laughter. Skipper glared at every single one of them. But what surprised him was that roxas was the only one not laughing. Instead she was gazing at him and Gavin. Her crystal blue eyes were filled with kindness, passion. and gentle love for her son. A small smile on her beak. Ponyo waddled to her little brother and skipper, she looked at skipper with her eyes of crystal blue.
"I like you Mr. Skipper!" she said with a smile.
"I, uh, like you to ponyo?" skipper asked more then replied.
"Will you marry me Mr. skipper?" ponyo asked.
Skipper's eyes widened hopefully for the last time.
"WHAT!?" he screamed.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" everyone finally couldn't hold in their laughter any longer, even roxas chuckled.
"L-l-look ponyo, you're a little young, actually TOO young, uh sorry." skipper sputtered trying not to hurt the little girls feelings. But to his surprise she smiled and nodded her head.
"Ok! I understand, sorry!" ponyo apologized.
"Uuhhh, ok?" skipper answered. Roxas shook her head and was at skipper's side.
"I truly am sorry for my children bothering you skipper. And well, uh, hurting you." roxas told skipper.
Skipper sighed " Its.., alright, roxas."
"Come on kids, lets leave skipper alone." roxas told her children. Gavin shook his head, so did ponyo.
" Me want sippy!" Gavin whined as he snuggled deeper in skippers legs.
"I want to be with Mr. skipper too!" ponyo sided with Gavin. Roxas sighed.
"it has to be ok with skipper."
Gavin and ponyo looked up at skipper.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaassseee?" they both begged. Skipper was mesmerized by their little blue eyes.
Skipper sighed in defeat.
"Alright."
"YAY!" the kids cheered.
Mizuki smirked. "Aww, your so sweet sippy!"
Skipper glared and waddled of with Gavin still in his legs and ponyo right on his tail.
bed time
Roxas had just finished singing and had tucked chelinka and the kids in their stone beds. Only her and skipper were still awake. Skipper was about to jump in his bunk but roxas stopped him by putting a flipper on his shoulder. He turned and looked at her, she still had her harp.
"can I talk to you out side please?" she whispered. With that she went outside
Skipper became suspicious. Could this be a trick? Or a trap? Whatever it was he would be ready! The moon was full and no clouds in the sky. Skipper had just put the fish bowl in place. Roxas was looking at the moon. Before he could ask what this was about she began to play her harp. The sound was heart touching. For some reason it gave skipper strength. She then began to sing.
"Pray to heaven with a song, as the winds caress me."
"Send the prayer up to the light, so that it might help me see."
Roxas was still looking at the moon, as if she was singing to it.
"Searching through my memories; memories, my memories; for you…for you."
"I have come this far having lost every hope; hope of finding you."
"But I swear no matter what I've had to face, you've never left my heart."
"There are sweet memories; they live all around us."
"How can you not believe in our love?"
"My full heart belongs to you; my life, your love leads."
"I've always stood next to you in your time of need."
"Embraced by the warmth of your gentle gaze, I've given you my love."
"I look for you now in my memories; heart never mending, love never ending."
"Pray to heaven with our song!"
Skipper stood there frozen to the spot. It was strange, but, the song and roxas's singing gave him courage and power. He felt like he could take on the whole world!
"Pray to heaven with a song, as the winds caress me."
"Send the prayer up to the light, so that it might help me see."
"Searching through my memories; memories, my memories; for you…for you."
"I have come this far having lost every hope; hope of finding you."
"But I swear no matter what I've to face, you've never left my heart."
"There are sweet memories; they live all around us."
"How can you not believe in our love?"
"My full heart belongs to you; my life, your love leads."
"I've always stood next to you in your time of need."
"Embraced by the warmth of your gentle gaze, I've given you my love."
"I look for you now in my memories; heart never mending, love never ending."
"Pray to heaven with our song!"
She stopped, the song was over.
"I'm sorry."
Skipper looked at her confused. "For what?"
"My kids bothering you, and Gavin calling you dada." she said, still staring at the moon.
This shocked skipper, before he could ask how he remembered what uxie had said about having sensitive hearing. So instead he said something else.
"its ok."
Roxas took a deep breath and then breathed out.
"There's a reason ponyo and Gavin called you their father."
"Huh!?" skipper jumped back from shock.
"But you said that they do tha-"
"They don't."
Skipper looked at her.
"Its because you look like him."
"Him?" skipper questioned.
Roxas took another deep breath, but this time she was shaking as she breathed in and out. Skipper raised a non existing eyebrow.
"Soren."
Skipper's fachel expression stayed the same. "Soren? Who's that?"
Roxas took yet another shaky breath.
"Ponyo and Gavin's father….my….husband…"
Skipper raised both brows and was about to ask something else, but roxas spoke.
"You look just like Soren, that's why ponyo called you daddy when she first saw you." roxas began to tremble.
"But Gavin only knows what Soren looks like because of a picture of him….Gavin only saw his father ones, but he had just hatched when he saw him…"
Skipper looked at roxas with concern. The question he had, he didn't want to ask anymore. But it slipped before he could stop himself.
"What happened to Soren?" he mentally kicked himself. He had said it.
Roxas began to tremble even more. She suddenly fell on her knees, fighting back tears. Skipper dashed to her side, trying to comfort her by rubbing her back the way he saw her do it to her kids.
"I-I-im so sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"N-no, its ok, but I'll answer your questions tomorrow." she chocked out the words.
Skipper looked at her in disbelief. "No! you don't hav-"
"No, really its ok." roxas interrupted him.
She then quickly got up, grabbed her harp, and ran to the fish bowl. She pushed it open with a nudge of her foot.
"Good night." she said to skipper before she went inside.
Skipper dived in after her, but in just three seconds flat she had put her harp away and was in her bunk, her front facing the wall. Skipper lowered his head and jumped into his bunk. The song roxas had sang outside replayed over and over in his mind as he drifted off.
the song is from rune factory frontier.