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Description
Weak. That's what he was. That's what he always had been. He'd always let someone else take the reigns. Aurin, Kiki, whoever. When he tried to be an adult, to be on his own, he'd failed. He had barely put up a fight against the two ruffians who had assaulted him.

The world had faded to black, and then to white. For a long while, Hearth had remained still, deciding to wait and see, thinking perhaps he had died and this was when he'd meet Chii'Falla. But, after a long time with nothing happening, boredom and curiosity got the better of him, and he began to walk. He walked for hours, perhaps days, or even weeks. He couldn't tell. Time was warped, and it felt like he'd been here five minutes, and also five years. There was nothing but a vast plain of white, with only his shadow to accompany him. He decided to take a short rest, sitting down and staring at the ground.

That's when he heard it. A faint whisper behind him. He perked his ears, swinging his head around to find the source of the noise. Yet, there was only his shadow.

It must be shy.

He turned his head back around, but swiveled his ears to better hear behind it. There it started again!

"I regret." it said.

"What do you regret?"

"I regret this. Our life. We could have done so much more. We settled with a kid, a KID! Where can our life go now?"

"I love her," Hearth said defensively.

"Sure you do." responded the voice, "Just about as much as a wyngro might love their pet coatala."

"She's my child," Hearth growled, standing up and whipping around to face the the treacherous voice.

He heard it once more from behind him. "She isn't. She's a nook child, just like you were. Why did you take her on? We could have been happy alone. Did you feel bad? Didn't want her to grow in the nook? She would have been just fine you know? You know?"

"Stop."

"What made you think you could raise a child? You're barely mentally stable yourself. One small stress and you spiral into panic and depression. Chii's sake, you can't even talk to other wyngrew. You're too much of a coward."

"I-It's a mental thing!" he protested, "I can't control it, my throat just...locks up. I dunno."

"And you think that's the best thing to have when raising a child? She'll probably be a half mute, just like you."

The dark wyngro's head was bowed, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. "I...I don't know. I love her. She's my daughter." he whispered.

"Love isn't the only thing required for raising a wyngling."

Hearth's mind was whirling. Doubts that he had long pushed to the back of his mind were resurfacing. The voice in his head was the voice behind him. Was he really fit to be Nebula's guardian? Should he really have taken her home? Why had he taken her home? She had just been so sweet and quiet, definitely not the kind of wyngling that should be in the nook for long. Alma did her best, but shy and quiet were often the targets of mean and loud. He didn't want that for her. But what was she getting from him? Surely the wyngling would only learn how to be an anxious mess from him. Had he made a mistake? Had he ruined her life with one selfish action? He trembled.

"It's not too late," the voice whispered, "You can still take her back. She'd be sad, but she'd have a better shot at life than she would with you."

Hearth opened his mouth to respond and then shut it again as a new thought occurred to him. Nebula was happy. She lived in a house with enough room for any wyngling to be happy in. She had other influences in her life, good ones like Kiki and Coco. They picked up where Hearth lacked. And what good would sending her back to the nook really do? Teach her to distrust anyone in her life? No, he'd taken this child on, and she was his responsibility.

"A child is not a pet," he said, quietly. "You can't just pass them around. Whether it was the right decision to take her or not, she's still mine, and I will teach her to the best of my abilities. And if that's not enough, I'll find someone who will be to help.

With new resolve in his heart, Hearth took a deep breath, and stepped backwards into his shadow.

--

oof. I really love the picture, but the story writing is a bit rough. Oh well, keep your ears open for part 2!

3/418

Description
Weak. That's what he was. That's what he always had been. He'd always let someone else take the reigns. Aurin, Kiki, whoever. When he tried to be an adult, to be on his own, he'd failed. He had barely put up a fight against the two ruffians who had assaulted him.

The world had faded to black, and then to white. For a long while, Hearth had remained still, deciding to wait and see, thinking perhaps he had died and this was when he'd meet Chii'Falla. But, after a long time with nothing happening, boredom and curiosity got the better of him, and he began to walk. He walked for hours, perhaps days, or even weeks. He couldn't tell. Time was warped, and it felt like he'd been here five minutes, and also five years. There was nothing but a vast plain of white, with only his shadow to accompany him. He decided to take a short rest, sitting down and staring at the ground.

That's when he heard it. A faint whisper behind him. He perked his ears, swinging his head around to find the source of the noise. Yet, there was only his shadow.

It must be shy.

He turned his head back around, but swiveled his ears to better hear behind it. There it started again!

"I regret." it said.

"What do you regret?"

"I regret this. Our life. We could have done so much more. We settled with a kid, a KID! Where can our life go now?"

"I love her," Hearth said defensively.

"Sure you do." responded the voice, "Just about as much as a wyngro might love their pet coatala."

"She's my child," Hearth growled, standing up and whipping around to face the the treacherous voice.

He heard it once more from behind him. "She isn't. She's a nook child, just like you were. Why did you take her on? We could have been happy alone. Did you feel bad? Didn't want her to grow in the nook? She would have been just fine you know? You know?"

"Stop."

"What made you think you could raise a child? You're barely mentally stable yourself. One small stress and you spiral into panic and depression. Chii's sake, you can't even talk to other wyngrew. You're too much of a coward."

"I-It's a mental thing!" he protested, "I can't control it, my throat just...locks up. I dunno."

"And you think that's the best thing to have when raising a child? She'll probably be a half mute, just like you."

The dark wyngro's head was bowed, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. "I...I don't know. I love her. She's my daughter." he whispered.

"Love isn't the only thing required for raising a wyngling."

Hearth's mind was whirling. Doubts that he had long pushed to the back of his mind were resurfacing. The voice in his head was the voice behind him. Was he really fit to be Nebula's guardian? Should he really have taken her home? Why had he taken her home? She had just been so sweet and quiet, definitely not the kind of wyngling that should be in the nook for long. Alma did her best, but shy and quiet were often the targets of mean and loud. He didn't want that for her. But what was she getting from him? Surely the wyngling would only learn how to be an anxious mess from him. Had he made a mistake? Had he ruined her life with one selfish action? He trembled.

"It's not too late," the voice whispered, "You can still take her back. She'd be sad, but she'd have a better shot at life than she would with you."

Hearth opened his mouth to respond and then shut it again as a new thought occurred to him. Nebula was happy. She lived in a house with enough room for any wyngling to be happy in. She had other influences in her life, good ones like Kiki and Coco. They picked up where Hearth lacked. And what good would sending her back to the nook really do? Teach her to distrust anyone in her life? No, he'd taken this child on, and she was his responsibility.

"A child is not a pet," he said, quietly. "You can't just pass them around. Whether it was the right decision to take her or not, she's still mine, and I will teach her to the best of my abilities. And if that's not enough, I'll find someone who will be to help.

With new resolve in his heart, Hearth took a deep breath, and stepped backwards into his shadow.

--

oof. I really love the picture, but the story writing is a bit rough. Oh well, keep your ears open for part 2!

3/418