Chapter 40: New Mom
Let me give you a piece of advice, plesiosaur breath stinks! I could smell it through my mask.
This was Tyde, and no, I wasn't sitting in her stomach calling out 'Pinocchio'. I was in a flap under the tongue, like the crocodiles and alligators have for protecting their young.
Then there was light again, and I saw it when I was spat out. It was an underwater cave with an air pocket, and sunlight was streaking through the entrance. Besides that it was dark, but I could still see.
I took off my mask and looked around. It was very large, and I saw Tyde crawl onto the rocky platform that I was sitting on. She reminded me of a seal or a sea-turtle the way she moved on land.
"Katie, is that you?" I turned to see Sam, wet and cold but alive.
"Yeah, what's going on? Where are we?"
"Tyde's nest. Don't worry, we're safe here." He helped me up and I followed him toward Tyde.
"Nest? If we're safe, then why did Tyde try to eat me?" I asked, wary of going too close.
"She brought you here, but why she didn't talk to you I don't know. Try talking to her."
"Yeah. Hey Tyde, how are you?"
"Katie! Now two of my friends are here!"
"Tyde, why did you bring me here? Why didn't you ask first?"
"I smelled the blood, and was afraid a shark would get you. This is my nest, see?" I walked closer and she moved her fin. There were three eggs she was protecting. The eggs were the size of basketballs.
"I didn't want to worry Ariel, but I couldn't get out and Tyde wouldn't take me out. My tank broke when I was running from Tyde. I thought she was going to eat me, too."
"Katie, look! They're starting to hatch!" Tyde moved away and I saw the eggs shake.
"You're going to be a mom of three, just like me!" I responded.
"Oh wow!" Sam said as the first egg broke open. It was blue, and it looked just like a mini-Tyde when it burst out, crying like a crocodile. She told me it was a boy. Tyde placed her head on the ground and the baby crawled into her mouth, under the tongue. The second one was yellow, a girl it looked like, and then the last was a green male. They were all about the size of a small cat.
Tyde started out the cave with her babies in her mouth, starting their lives in the water.
"Katie, can you get us out?"
"Yeah, hold on." I teleported us to the boat.
"Dad!" Ariel ran to hug her dad.
"Mom!" my three did the same, and Mirai too. Then they all backed off.
"Gross! You guys smell like old fish!" Andy said.
"Long story." I said as I noticed the smell.
So Sam and I explained about the eggs and the cave. The others were curious and happy that everything was okay.
"Okay, okay, I think I get it, but how did Tyde have eggs? Wouldn't she need a boy Green Eyes?" Kanji asked.
"Actually, she did. I didn't know he was a boy, though. He showed up about two years ago, stayed for a few week, then vanished before we moved to Planet Plant." Sam said.
"Wow, he showed up when Bebi came to earth? Just like Tyde and her mom." I said, thinking.
"He went back to open sea, and that's the last we saw of him." Ariel said.
"But two years for gestation? Wow…" as a scientist at heart I was intrigued by that.
"So they'll never get to meet their father either…" Codie said. I placed my arm around his shoulders.
"Look! Is that her?" Andy pointed out a large, dark shape under the surface.
"You bet! She's coming to see us!" I said, running to the side of the Sea Searcher.
Tyde's massive head came out of the water, and she was level with me.
"Do you and your family want to see my babies?"
"We sure do!" I responded. She opened her mouth and made a soft growl-like sound. The babies jumped out and made that crying sound, flopping like seals.
"Oh, they're so cute!" Andy and Ariel said.
"Yeah, cute like slugs." Kanji said, knelt down to get a better look. The nearest baby bit him on the leg. "Ouch!"
I picked up the one that was green, and he cocked his head at me.
"Hi!" I said. He 'purred' and then wanted down.
"Are you going to name them, Tyde?"
"Yes, but I don't know what to call them."
"How about you call the blue one Pipe, the girl Juu, and green one Cell."
"Okay!"
Pipe was named after Piccolo, Juu for Android 17, and Cell for Cell, duh. I read Juu as part of 17's Japanese name somewhere in the manga back home.
"Tyde and I just named the babies. Pipe, Juu, and Cell." I said, pointing them out. My family knew the significance of the names.
"We have to go home now, its almost dark. Are you going home too?" Tyde asked.
"Yeah, but I'll visit soon." I said as Tyde scooped up her family. Then they disappeared.
"I think we should head home, too. You still haven't healed up completely, Katie, and you too, Codie." Mirai said.
"More fighting?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, lots of it." I sighed, "Did I tell you yet? Goku named me earth's new protector." I said, mostly to my family.
"That's great, mom." Kanji said.
"Wow Katie, what an honor." Mirai said.
"Yeah, especially since its Goku." Sam said. We all laughed, and as the sun sat we all said goodbye and headed home.