"There!" Zeta grabs a book from his shelves and puts it before me. "Vie told me you're really interested in them." I take a closer look and I notice a book that it's about humans. "So I think you'd want to read about them."

"Thanks a lot!" I say genuinely. "Not now, though. I can read in my own time. There aren't many things to do when all you have is sand."

"Right, I have a question about how you refugees live. Do you just leave stuff out in the open on the sand?"

"Well, yeah." He's implying that it's not a good thing to do. "No one takes anything from anyone else. I think it's because everyone got issued the same stuff there, and since they used to just put things in their cave it wouldn't really make a difference."

"It doesn't make much sense. I mean, here we keep things secure maybe because we use more money, but every living being is self-serving, so there must be someone that isn't satisfied with what they have and would steal."

"I don't think it has happened, though…" I say, becoming unsure.

"Not everyone is good natured. But if it's not occurring I guess it's no point discussing it." He cocks his head. "But there are still other questions. How can you just live like this, next to other families in the open? If someone got a contagious disease it would spread so easily, and everyone would be infected very quickly. There's no privacy, either. How would the adults mate with each other?"

"Mate? Do you mean become mates? Can't you just discuss it with the other person?"

"No, mate as in the verb." He looks at me in a funny way. "You don't know, do you?"

"I do! Mates have children with each other. Right?"

"How do they have children?"

"They just do?" I'm starting to become confused and question what I know.

"Nothing happens like that. For two people to have children, they need to mate with each other."

"Mate? Like… spending time with each other?" I ask tentatively.

"Well, yes, but there's a physical behaviour associated with it. When I was younger, I always wondered what males had to do with children. I knew that females laid eggs that we hatched from, but I didn't get why males were a part of it. Turns out, the child inherits half the genes from each parent, and the male gives his genes to the female which makes her eggs develop. Sexual reproduction allows for much higher genetic variety which is beneficial for the species' survival as it gives higher chance of mutation, which is the mechanism that allows us to evolve and adapt."

"Wait!" He used far too many long words. "How does the male give his genes to the female? Is it like a carefully planned gift, when mates decide to have children?"

Zeta chuckles. "Of course not! The father delivers haploid cells to the mother's ones. It's anything but carefully planned – it's an instinctual hormonal reaction."

"Cells are tiny organic units in our body, right? So we scrape our skin off… where are these cells?" I ask, still thoroughly confused.

"Ah, this is embarrassing," Zeta exclaims, but proceeds anyway. "They exchange cells at the cloaca. For us reptiles, at least. Basically, it's like… urinating into the female but it's not urine and instead the haploid cells."

"Eh?!" I frown at the mental image. "Are you kidding me? How can anyone do that?!"

"I know it sounds weird!" Zeta affirms. "But everyone was made this way. Including you!"

"So… it happened to Mum as well?"

He seems to be holding back laughter, but I only find this situation weird. "Of course! I know it sounds strange, because we don't have the sex drive at this point to understand it, and we have no idea how a Flygon body feels like. But every living species on this planet does it one way or another!"

"Oh… I see. So… um, when I grow up, I'll have to… do the same to my mate?" I ask tentatively.

"Only if you want children. Seriously though, forget about it. We'll naturally understand how this works when we grow older. After all, our ancestors without access to this information knew how to do it instinctively!"

I still squirm a bit as I think about it. Talking about it with Zeta is awkward enough, but… I don't think I'll be able to look Vie straight and talk about being mates anymore. Not when I imagine peeing on her.

"I admit, I'm not very good at explaining this," he continues. "I didn't put it the best way. You should go ask your parents later, they would definitely talk about it in a more mature way than I did."

I try not to think about it much as he brings the conversation to other topics. That evening, I feel like bringing the topic up to Mum, but Phendrene is around. And I start to wonder about how Charmander bodily functions work. This is gross.

"You should start eating, or Phendrene will eat everything!" Mum tells me as she catches me staring at my food blankly. I shake my head off from these thoughts and dig into the Sandshrew.

As we eat, I sneak glances at Mum. She's still the same, like she always has been. The only difference is that I know she supposedly did that with my father. But it really shouldn't make a difference, because everyone does it, right?

Phendrene finishes rather quickly and skips away to somewhere. I remember there's another reason why Phendrene is unsettling. "Mum? Do you know why Phendrene doesn't ever speak?"

She hesitates slightly when hearing my question. "It's a long story."

"Tell me!" I follow on immediately.

"Don't be so loud," she ushers and leans in close. "She was with her mother in the desert, whose name was Dream. But their day-to-day activities were nothing dreamlike. They were on their own, so they had to constantly worry about food and look out for any sign of danger. But it's difficult for a young child like Phendrene to stay put in a cave the whole time. Dream let her wander around, but warned her not to speak to anyone else. Yet… she met a Salamence and leaked their cave's location. And when she got back…"

"Her mother was…?"

Mum sighs. "Yes. Phendrene wandered away and found us quite soon after that. And she just… refused to talk. Because the last time it happened, her mother died."

"…But why? It doesn't make sense. Why would Salamence attack a Charizard just for being in the desert? Why is a Charizard family in the desert?" Mum looks away slightly, which only makes me more curious. "And why is she still willing to talk to you?"

"That's because…" Suddenly, Mum grips me tightly. "Nova, I'll tell you why, but you must promise me to never mention this to anyone. Not even Vie."

I'm taken aback by her sudden action. "…Okay. I promise."

"Dream… she looks like me. We are both female Flygon. Dream could hunt a lot better in the desert, so she brought her child here. I even knew her when I was young."

"Phendrene's a half-blood?" It makes sense now. That's why they had to live alone. "But why did her mother die?"

She glances around and appears somewhat hesitant to tell me. "Because the Salamence thought Dream was disgusting for having… mated with a Charizard."

The mental image is not as strange, maybe because I haven't seen a Charizard in person. "Why would someone kill over that? It's not even…"

"Some people are bigoted like that. We have to be careful so they don't know. Many Flygon here would react negatively to it. So make sure you don't let it slip to anyone."

"Okay. I won't."

That night, I eye Phendrene as she sleeps next to me. She seems so small, so innocent. Yet to have her mother die because of her… it must be a huge burden on her conscience. I shouldn't view her behaviour so negatively, and instead be encouraging and cheer her up.

I realize how lucky I am. Even if I don't have a father, my mother's still here with me. Speaking of which, what happened to Phendrene's Charizard father? Wouldn't it be more convenient if she lived with her father over at the Charizard's place? It would avoid people suspecting Phendrene of being a half-blood. Maybe her father left before she was born as well.

I wake up in the first lights of dawn and look at the small Charmander sprawled across the sand next to me. She has tried to hide herself, but she's still vulnerable. But it's all right, because I'll protect her.

She remains mostly inactive throughout early morning, using simple body language to communicate as Mum and I chat with each other.

"Have you made any Lyrl friends?" Mum asks me.

"There's this Trapinch called Zeta that I've visited quite a few times. He shows me all sorts of new stuff that I didn't know before. What about you, Phendrene?"

She shakes her head slightly.

I try and encourage her. "I'm sure you'll get to know some people."

She acts as if she didn't hear anything and continues eating.

"Phendrene just needs to get used to living around so many, that's all," Mum says for her.

"Yeah, don't worry! You have all the time in the world."

"Excuse me," a strange male voice interrupts from behind me. "If you don't mind, may I join?" I turn around and am greeted with an orange goggle-less dragon talking with my mother. Like Phendrene, his tail is lit with a small flame, but on top of a much larger body he also has wings and horns. Is that… a Charizard?

"Who are you?" I ask immediately.

"I'm the Charizard ambassador of Novaria. The Flygon here told me that there was a Charmander stranded in the desert."

Phew. I almost thought that he was Phendrene's father for a second, and that he was going to take her away.

"Do you need anything from us?" Mum asks in a rather courteous tone.

"Can I talk to the Charmander?" He pokes his head around to find Phendrene, who had positioned herself out of his sight. "Don't be shy. Surely you recognize your own species."

Phendrene stares at him blankly.

The Charizard decides to sit down next to my mother. "I'll give her some time. How did you find her?"

Mum adjusts her sitting posture as to face the Charizard. "It was on our trip to Lyrl. She was… alone in the desert. Her mother got attacked and… passed away."

"My sincere condolences." There is a brief moment of silence. "But why were they in the desert?"

I feel uneasy, remembering what my mother had just told me last night. But she maintains her calm easily. "This she has not told me. Perhaps they were just passing by." She then casts a meaningful look towards Phendrene, who to my surprise returns it rather determinedly.

"I assume her mother did not deem her old enough to tell her," the Charizard conjectures. "But that is of little importance. What about her father?"

Mum shakes her head. "I have no clue. She has not divulged anything."

He turns to Phendrene. "This is important. Where is your father?"

She looks down. "I… I don't know," she replies, ever so softly.

"You should know his name at least, right?"

"I never called him by his name." Although she is unwilling to meet his gaze, she is rather calm and collected in her response.

"Wait!" I suddenly realize the situation. Even if he's not her father, he's still aiming to… "Are you here to take her away?"

"I'm here to bring her home," the Charizard says. "She's supposed to live with her own species."

"If I may ask, what will happen to her?" Mum speaks up as well.

"We'll try and locate her father, and see if anyone recognizes her name. If not, I suppose we will have to raise her with the other parentless children."

"No…" Phendrene's voice surprises me again. She hasn't even been prompted. "I don't want to."

"It would be better if you could find your father," the Charizard responds. "I'm sure you'll be able remember. So, when will you be ready to go?"

Still staring at the sandy ground, she replies softly. "I won't."

"What?" He frowns and leans forward. "I'm doing this for you. It won't be as arid as the desert, and you'll make lots of Charmander friends."

She is silent and moves her head to glance at another arbitrary spot on the ground. This prompts him to lower his body down and place her hands on her shoulders gently. She jumps at his touch, and still refuses to meet his eyes.

"Haven't you seen the way they glance at us all the time? Especially our tails. They think we're strange. And that can't be helped, because we are a different species. You won't ever fit in if you stay here. I know it's hard, but you will find a Charizard to take care of you again. Novaria will be better for you. Trust me."

The Charizard's eloquence even makes me feel, ever so slightly, that he is right. But then I remember one important thing that he doesn't: that her mother was a Flygon. The truth is that she would actually be more comfortable with a Flygon taking care of her in the desert.

Phendrene shrinks backward after hearing the Charizard speak. "But…"

He sighs. "I can understand your hesitance. I'll give you today to think over it." He stands up, keeping his eye on the small Charmander in front of him. "Just know I want the best for you. We're the same species, after all." And with that, he turns and takes off into the air, his strong and slow wingbeats resonating in my head, much stronger than that of a Flygon.

Phendrene curls up into a ball as soon as the Charizard leaves. I tentatively approach her from behind. "You won't go, right?"

She does grace me with a headshake but otherwise remains still. Her actions have been surprisingly defiant during the conversation, and I'm pretty sure that she will stay.

I try to take my mind off this Charizard and stay with Zeta, confident that Phendrene will not waver in her decision. He occupies my mind with all his talking. He says Lyrl is getting somewhat overpopulated with all the Shallows Flygon, so much that some Flygon are leaving to the wild. I feel a little guilty, wondering if we Shallows Flygon could have lived in the wild as well. I'm glad that Zeta is the one telling me of this, because he sounds very impartial about it.

It's a few hours before I head back to Mum. I am not surprised to see that the Charizard is still there, attempting to bargain.

"This must be a mistake!" The Charizard insists as he makes an arm gesture of confusion. "How could you actually like it here?"

"She has already given you her decision," Mum says as I crawl next to her discreetly.

"But with all due respect, a Flygon mother cannot take care of a Charmander as well as her own species can!"

Mum is struggling to make a face as Phendrene responds softly again. "That's not true… I like Mum."

The Charizard narrows his eyes and leans in close to Phendrene. "You're calling a Flygon 'Mum' already? What about your birth mother? Or maybe she was a Flygon too?" he accuses.

What? How could he know about this? I manage to conceal my surprise, but Phendrene suddenly scrambles to her feet and tries to hide behind Mum, which makes it completely obvious.

"Wait," the Charizard says as he stands back up straight, facing my mother now. "It's true? She's a Flygon half-blood?"

"Not so loud!" I say instead of an answer. "You… you shouldn't say things like that."

"Ah, you again. But you're not correcting me." The Charizard's gives an understanding yet smug smile. "Don't worry, I don't mind them as much as… certain others. But I see now. That's why you want to stay in the desert."

Phendrene is shaking now behind Mum. I shuffle next to her and she grabs onto me quickly.

"I have to admit, it is rather amusing to think that you were created… by a Charizard and a Flygon together. I suppose you will head down the same path with this young lad over here, won't you?" He moves his gaze down to the two of us, still maintaining his unsettling smile.

"Sir, please…" Mum starts.

"Ah, my apologies." He steps back and takes a bow. "It's the first time I have encountered a situation like this, so please do excuse me. I admit it is a reasonable cause for her to stay here. I can see how this can affect her decision."

He then looks back down toward Phendrene with a more sincere smile. "But, my dear Charmander, do remember that you still belong with your own species. If you ever do change your mind, you will still be able to find me if you ask the Flygon authorities. All right?"

Phendrene doesn't respond this time.

"I suppose you're still scared. In any case, it has been a pleasure meeting you. May your flames burn forever bright. Farewell, Charmander," he says and turns around to walk off, humming an unfamiliar tune as his figure gets smaller through the crowd.

None of us say anything after he leaves, clearly still feeling quite tense. I can only wonder what will happen if someone less tolerant managed to get wind of Phendrene's identity.

"Don't react to it next time," Mum begins in a lecturing tone. "Both of you. If the topic comes up, just try to act normal. Let me deal with it."

Phendrene is even less responsive to us than usual that night, probably still affected by the Charizard discovering her secret. I don't know much about how dangerous it is that people discover that Phendrene is a half-blood, but to her it seems like a big deal. Of course, her mother died because of it…

But as time passes, life returns back to normal, the Charizard just a distant memory. I become more used to the paths and fountains of Lyrl, and living in the open rather than in a cave in an outcrop. Sure, we can't wander around freely anymore, but I've never valued it that much. Zeta keeps me occupied easily with his fountain of books, and when he's busy, Vie's always here for me.

However, as things settle down, my attention goes back to the mysteries surrounding my father. I try to be patient with my mother about these subjects she insists on talking about when I am older, and it mostly works through keeping myself occupied through other activities. But the innate curiosity still burns within me, and when I hear Mum's name one night at the fountain, I'm eager to eavesdrop.

"Why aren't you talking to Shell lately?"

"Ever since we came to Lyrl she hasn't paid attention to me. She's probably thinking about Blight."

Two Flygon are conversing on the other side of the fountain. I manage to recognize one the voices as Silex's. I assumed she knew my mother – after all, my Mum mentioned her before. The other Flygon is a young male one, probably somewhere around my mother's age. I vaguely recognize him but not clearly enough to pinpoint who he is.

"Blight was her mate. Of course he matters to her," says Silex.

Blight is my dad's name? I never even knew. …Mum said she would talk to me when I was older, didn't she?

I get a better look at them around the fountain. The other Flygon is lying face-down, resting is head on his arms, and gazing blankly into the water, while Silex sits next to him.

"I just don't get why she would choose a-"

"Skein, we've been through this," Silex interrupts, which I feel is strange considering how she usually is patient and listens to us children. "She chooses what she does. You can't change her mind. And don't talk about it in public so openly."

The other Flygon, Skein, stares into the water for a few more seconds. Then he sighs. "Okay. I'm going back now. I don't think my mate would like me to think about this stuff. …See you later, Silex."

"That's good. It's not healthy to dwell on what could have been."

Skein gets up and walks around the fountain and away, completely ignoring me. My eyes follow him until he's out of sight. Then I look around and realize Silex is looking at me. She catches my look and smiles before walking away. I want to go and ask her about my mother but I'm afraid she'll get mad at me for listening in on what ostensibly was a private conversation. I should ask Mum herself in person first.

I crawl back towards our designated dwelling, unsure of whether I should approach my mother. I am slightly older than before, but I doubt she would reveal much more information than before. Maybe I should try and evolve. But I get the feeling that it's just an excuse and she's just trying to avoid the topic. Should I really persist, even if it makes her uncomfortable? I think I do have a right to know more about my father…

The sight of her talking with Phendrene stirs up a funny feeling inside me. Why would she talk to Phendrene so openly but not to her own son? I walk forward brusquely behind them. "Muuuuum!"

She turns her head round. "What is it?"

I don't bother with pretences this time. "My father. His name is Blight, right?"

"I… yes, Nova." She seems slightly anxious and turns her body around completely. "What about it?"

"Did Silex know him? I heard her mentioning his name when talking to someone."

She picks me up rather suddenly and places me next to Phendrene. "You shouldn't eavesdrop on other people's conversations, Nova!" she says in a lecturing tone. "It's not polite."

"But he's my father! Why can't I get to know more about him?" I complain. "Silex knew him, right?"

She almost scolds me, but seeing my defiant look her gaze softens. "Nova… I'm sorry. You deserve to know. Silex more than just knew him… Silex was the one that convinced him to leave. I didn't even know until he already left. I was mad at Silex afterwards, but it was pointless. He was already gone."

That's surprising. "…What? Why did Silex do that? I thought she was a kind, caring Flygon…"

"She is! She brought me up from a Trapinch. I never even knew my real parents."

"Really?"

"Yes. She was one that took care of orphans." She moves her gaze away. "And it's not as if she convinced your father to leave out of malice…"

"Then what did she convince him to leave for?" I pursue further.

Mum takes a deep breath. "Your father was very talented, you know? He was both strong and smart, excelling far above the capabilities of those around us. And so Silex sought him out to defeat… defeat the Hydreigon."

What?

My father was the one that defeated the Hydreigon?

"But how?!"

She looks down. "I don't know. He was talented. You could even say powerful. And so the Hydreigon was defeated… I always wondered if it was even worth it, because us Flygon felt nothing from the Hydreigon. Silex always said that it was for the best… but I can't help but want him back. He didn't even know I was going to have… you. Maybe if he did, he wouldn't have left…"

She stifles a short breath. I think she's crying.

"Mum… I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry." I crawl closer to her.

"No, you should know about your father." She lies down and curls around me, pulling me into a hug. "When we were together, he said that he would give his child the name Nova. And after you were born, I was waiting, every day, for him to come back, and to show you to him… But he never came back. I want to hang on to the chance that maybe he's still alive, but…"

"Shh. It's all right, Mum. You don't need to talk."

A wave of guilt surges me as I see my own mother shed tears. I finally understand why she never wanted to talk about my father. I made her recall painful memories to satisfy my selfish curiosity.

I try and shift myself closer to her in an attempt to comfort her. Vaguely, I notice that Phendrene has left. For her awkwardness, I find it considerate of her to have given us some privacy.

A feeling of contentment washes over me as I rest in her cradle. I haven't slept like this with my mother since I was a baby. But hearing her talk just makes me realize how much we mean to each other. Forget about the parent who left before I was even born. I have one here who has stayed with and tirelessly nurtured me ever since I came into this world.

I feel her arms shift around me and there suddenly is a sense of helplessness. As a Trapinch, I'm stubby and useless. I can't do anything to help or comfort her. But one day, I will evolve and take care of her like she has done for me. Just you wait.