Chapter 15

Penny's Little Developing Secret

Penny wakes up very early this morning. Dash was still sleeping. Servine was still curled up sleeping. Dewott was still sleeping. Penny looks outside. "Sun still remains under the horizon," Penny thought, "but there is enough light for me to see. It is my time to leave alone finally. I've always had a little tail falling me. It gets annoying." Penny gets out of the nest, "Hopefully I'll get back before they wake up. I should come back with some berries to make it seem like I was picking berries, however that would be a long time for me to be out and it would be a little out of my way. I'll play it by ear."

She walks a down a narrow path. A bigger pokemon wouldn't be able to see the path but for a small snivy, the path is visible. Dewott and servine wouldn't be able to see it but Dash could. "I hope they don't try to look for me. Knowing Dash he would see the path and go alone. There are so many forks in the road and he would easily get lost."

She takes a left and another left, then a right, then a left, then a right, then finally a left. She walks up to a very familiar tree. "Ah... this is home." She said to herself, "This is the place that I lived in before this whole storm blew everything in my life out of wack."

She is about to walk inside when she hears something land behind her and that familiar voice was heard saying, "Penny? Is that you?" She feels the bow on her tail get touched by the figure.

Penny without turning around says, "Hi Sparky."

"It is you!" Penny feels Sparky giving her a hug.

"She must not know," Penny thought, "Who knows what she would do? She definitely isn't the care with fragile stuff. I need to get her away."

Sparky lets go of Penny and says, "Where have you been?"

"I've been out and about."

"And Dash?"

"He's my little follower. Where I've been he has been."

"Ah," Sparky replies. Sparky was going to say something more but decides to hold it for herself.

Penny remains silent. "She needs to go away," Penny thought.

"So what are you doing here?" Sparky asks.

"Oh you know, just taking a walk."

"Then, why were you going to go in there?"

Penny doesn't answer. Sparky starts to walk in but Penny stands in her way. Sparky tries to move around her but Penny adjusts to every new way she used to get in. "Why can't I go in there?" Sparky asks.

"Because this used to be my home before I met you," Penny pauses, "and there are a lot of personal stuff in here that I just don't want others seeing."

Sparky gives Penny "the look" and says, "Do really think I'm that dumb? Do you really think I'm that stupid?"

Penny realizing that she has failed keeping her away replies with, "no."

"What are you hiding in there?"

Penny doesn't answer. Penny walks into her old nest with Sparky following her into Penny's home. Sparky looks around the room. There is a grassy bed and a warm mossy blanket with something under it. "Home sweet home," Penny said.

"This is it?" Sparky asks.

"Yep."

"Didn't you want to live in a more secured home? In a home with more room?"

"Nope."

Sparky looks at Penny with a confused look. "How can anyone live this way and not want more for themselves?" Sparky thought. She walks over to the mossy blanket. "And this thing kept you warm in the winter?" Sparky asks.

Penny gets a little nervous, " No, I have to gather more but once I do It's very warm and in the very cold winters, I can deal with the elements. I survive."

Sparky turns away from the blanket, "But don't you want to be in a place that is always warm even in the winter and not have to work for survival?"

"What are doing? Selling me a house? Not interested in them. This is my nest and my place. It works for me. It may not work for you but to me this is and will always be my home."

Sparky again gives Penny a puzzled look. Sparky picks up the mossy blanket in which an egg was hiding in it. Sparky goes to put up the egg but as a natural reaction Penny pushes Sparky away from the egg and holds the egg herself protecting it from the outsiders that may harm it. Sparky stares at the egg. "Is that yours?" Sparky asks.

Penny Doesn't answer. She cradles the egg in her arms.

"It is yours isn't it?"

Penny knowing that she can't hide the truth nods yes.

"Can I see?"

Penny looks at her and says, "You're seeing it right now aren't you?"

"I know but let me hold it." Sparky holds her hands out.

Penny turns away.

"Who's the Father?"

Penny doesn't answer.

"Come on. Who is he? I won't tell anyone."

"Me and you both know that isn't true, you'll tell everyone you know."

"Does he even know?"

Penny hesitates then replies, "no."

Sparky replies in shock, "What? Don't you think you should tell him?"

"Yes." Penny replies in a soft voice.

"Why haven't you told him?"

"I'm afraid of what he'll do."

"Being afraid of the unknown is normal, but what you don't realize is that we face the unknown everyday and we don't realize it. I could die today. It could be by a car or by a fall. I may not eat because of a food shortage. I may not even finish this sentence. See we all face the unknown everyday."

"Fine. I'll tell him, but I don't want you there."

"Fair enough." She gets out of the house and flies off.

Penny watches her to make sure she truly leaves. Once Penny knows that Sparky's gone she holds the egg close yet softly. She walks the trip back. The sun has fully passed the horizon. "They're awake. I know it." She gets back to the open area of where the nest is. She is relieved when she sees all three of them still by the nest. "They haven't gone looking for me." Servine, dewott, and Dash walk to Penny. They all look at the egg she's holding. She has the urge to protect this egg again yet she holds in the urge. She looks at Dash and hands the egg to him. Dash holds the egg carefully. He rocks the egg a little naturally. He smiles at the egg then at Penny. Dash asks, "Where did you find this?"

"It's always been with me."

Dash and dewott looks confused. Servine looks at Penny with a slightly surprised look. Dash asks, "What do you mean?"

"It's my egg."

Dewott and Dash are shocked. "What?" They both say. Servine stands there in silence.

She looks at Dash and says "And it's yours."

Dash blushes hard and say, "R-r-r-r-really? T-t-this is ours?"

Penny smiles and nods yes. Penny stands next to Dash as he gets to know the egg better.

Dewott and servine walk away. Dewott whispers, "We can't have that egg with us."

Servine answers, " I know. That egg will be too distracting."

"Not only that but this trip is going to be dangerous and we can't run a day-care service at the same time."

"I know. That egg will get broken broken on the trip."

"Yes. So we both agree that we need to find someone to take care of the egg while were gone."

"Yep."

Dewott and Servine walk back towards the happy family. "So , we really wanted to leave ASAP," dewott said, "and well the egg can't follow us on our trip."

Penny looks at the egg, "We understand. Can you give us time to think?"

Dewott nods. He and Servine walk away.

Dash looks at the egg , "I don't want to give up this egg." he said.

Penny looks at the egg, " We don't have to give it up. We just need someone to look after it well we're gone."

"But it can't be just anyone."

"Agreed but who? Neither of us know where our parents are plus your parents abandoned you. Sparky wouldn't be able to keep it safe plus she would probably be the biggest danger to the egg. I don't trust Fireback. There's something about him that I don't like."

"Well," Dash pauses, "That means we have Sparks. He's the only one that we know where he is."

Penny sighs, "Ya, I guess he's our best choice."

Dash and Penny secretly and sneakily walk to Sparks' main base. Sparks, sitting on a fallen tree nearby, holds his knifes and looks at Penny and Dash. Dash slowly walk up to Sparks with wary movements. Sparks smiles at Dash and warps the knifes away in a dark cloud. Sparks stands up, "Glad to see you're doing a lot better." Sparks said. Penny stands in the backround waiting. "Why is she staying away from us?"

Dash looks away slightly, "Well you see..." He pauses. "We have a very strange request."

Sparks looks at Penny. She hides the egg in her arms preventing anyone from the outside from seeing its existence. Sparks motions Penny over. Penny reluctantly walks over with Dash and Sparks. She stands on Dash's side of the conversation. "So what is this request and what is she hiding?" Sparks asked.

Penny remains silent. Dash looks at Penny and said, "We need to show him." Penny's arms don't move.

"Show me what?" Sparks asks. Penny looks at Dash then Sparks realizing that they were both looking at her. Penny, wishing she could be smaller than she actually was so maybe she could sneak away, shows the egg to Sparks.

Sparks folds his arms calmly even though he is very shocked. Sparks looks at Penny and Dash, "So you want me to take care of your egg?"

Dash and Penny nod.

"This is both of yours right?"

They nod.

Sparks looks at the egg.

Penny looks at Sparks, "Don't use any dark magic on our kid."

"Don't worry. I won't. I've done this once before."

"Whose egg did you take care of last time?" Dash asks curiously.

Sparks looks away. "My own." he replies.

"Wait!" Penny said shocked, "You had a kid too?"

"Yep."

"Well where is he?" Dash asked.

"She was a girl. And I don't know."

"Oh. Well what happened?"

"I was stupid..." There is an awkward and depressing silence in the air. Sparks finally continues while holding back tears, "There was me, my daughter, and my girlfriend or as you two may call it my mate. Any who, I didn't know any magic and this was before Sparky went all crazy and started to attack me. We were out in this nest in a tree trunk. It was dark. We were all sleeping. It was very peaceful. We were actually "uncivilized" like you two. Then they came. Those stupid humans. They went and took my love and my child away. I tried to fight them but, I was weak. They shot me with a tranquilizer. I-I-I tried to fight the drug b-b-but I couldn't. I fell asleep while my family was taken away. I could still remember my little girl screaming 'daddy.' I-I-I couldn't find where they were taken. To this day... I look for my daughter and my girlfriend even though it all may be hopeless. Oh what I would do to be able to see them again. I would sacrifice myself if it meant they were safe."

Dash and Penny looks down. "That's very sad." Dash said.

Penny looks at Sparks, "It wasn't your fault. You gave it your all to try to save your family. If you didn't do anything, then it could be considered your fault. You were a great father to fight even though your own life was at risked. If I lost my egg... I would go crazy and I'm sure you were confused and broken too."

Sparks nods.

"I now trust you our egg." Penny said, "I didn't before we showed up but now I do." She hands the egg over to Sparks.

Sparks holds the egg carefully. "So where are you two going that you need an egg sitter?"

Penny and Dash look at each other. "Should we tell him?" Dash asked.

Penny nods and turns to Sparks. "We're going to the dark and light cores."

"Ah. I've heard of them before. It's a very dangerous trip. Why would you want to go there?" Sparks asked.

"Well you see, we're there to destroy them."

Sparks surprised said, "Those help us magic users not take the cost of magic. Why would you want to destroy them?"

"They'll get too big, too powerful if we don't destroy them and have them start over. If we don't complete this, there will be lots of bloodshed because magic users will become too powerful and they will lose there minds."

Sparks nods, "I understand. Those with too much power with no check in place get corrupted."

Dash and Penny nods.

Sparks looks at the egg. "Don't worry about your kid. It'll be here when you get back. I'll take care of it like it was my own daughter."

"Thanks Sparks." Dash said.

"You're welcome. Go destroy those cores."

"We will." Penny said.

Penny and Dash slowly turn away and walk back towards dewott's and servine's house. With more than half of the day gone, Dash and Penny had no time to prepare. Luckily they had prepared for us. We'll go in the morning.