I pushed into Bobby's room and saw my pups bounding around. Rogue was sitting on the floor with them and they leaped around her but she was sure not to touch them. She watched them leap and dart around her.
"Hey Starlight," Bobby exclaimed as he stood up from his bed and strode over to me. "I thought you'd be longer."
I shook my head. "Finished early." I looked to Thyme who peeked out from my legs and darted into the wresting with her littermates. Excitement shone on her face as she barreled into Avery, throwing him sideways. "So how were they?"
"Great," Rogue told me as I sat beside her and liked a paw before I ran it across my muzzle. "They have a lot of energy though."
I smiled in amusement. "Yes they do and trust me I don't think they'll ever tire," I joked as I rolled my eyes.
"So what were you doing with Thyme," inquired Rogue as she leaned forward. Her eye gleamed in interest and I lashed my tail a bit.
I licked my lips. "Just talking and spending some mother daughter bonding time. She is very shy and I think that this meant a lot to her."
Rogue nodded in understanding. "When do you'll think you'll be back as a teacher," Bobby asked as he sat on the floor before he made a small ice cub and Reed began to chase it. He leaped on it but he slipped on it and Murk gained the lead in chasing it with Avery and Thyme tumbling after her.
I looked to my pups. "As soon as they start school here," I replied as I watched them bound around and play. They were so innocent and I wished that they could always be this way. "Which should be in about a moon."
"Are any of them mutants," whispered Rogue but something told me that she may have already heard. Clutch! He probably said something to his friends and it was told to more and more students. Rumors traveled faster than a wolf running from a hunter in this school which was the only thing I didn't like.
I plastered my ears against my head, wondering what I should say. However suddenly I heard a yelp come from Thyme and I spiraled around to face them. I surged forward and looked around madly. I only saw three of my pups though. I couldn't find Avery!
"What happened," Bobby asked as he sprang to his feet, ready for action.
Rogue was at his side and she also realized that there were only three pups. She tugged at Bobby's shoulder roughly and her eyes rounded in shock. "Where's Avery," she gasped as she kneeled down and stretched out one of her hands timidly. Luckily she had on gloves so when she touched Reed to try and calm him down her powers didn't effect him.
"I don't know," confessed Murk as her fur spiked. "He was here one heartbeat, gone the next.
I frowned in confusion. He couldn't have left the room since the door was closed. That narrowed my search a bit but I still had no idea where in the room I could search. "Now let's be calm," I chided the pups gently as I lashed my tail. My pups suddenly sat and looked up at me, excited that I would be able to tell them what to do. "He couldn't have left the room which means he has to be in here."
"What should we do," asked Reed as her tail curled over her back. "Just call his name and see if he answers?"
I shrugged and tipped my head a bit. "Sure I suppose we can try that. Avery! Avery answer me!"
"Avery," called Thyme as she reared on her hind legs and howled for her brother.
Reed darted under Bobby's bead and bristled his fur. "AVERY!"
"He's not deaf," snapped Murk as she plastered her ears against her head and bared her teeth in a snarl. "Avery. Avery where did you do?"
"Avery," called both Bobby and Rouge as they looked in higher places. Avery had wings like the rest of his littermates but I doubted if he knew how to fly.
"Avery please answer me," I begged as I sniffed the air as I tried to pick out his scents from his littermates. However I couldn't since they spent so much time together their scents smelled the same. Once they spent more time apart like at school they would each take own their own individual scents but until then I couldn't pick his scent out of the other pups.
"I'm right here momma," Avery yipped and it came from behind me.
I spiraled around and lashed my tail. "Avery this isn't a time for games," I scolded as I looked around madly. "Now come out."
"I'm right here," Avery barked but I still couldn't see him.
Thyme suddenly shot forward and leaped against the wall. I heard a yelp and Avery rolled forward. However I realized that he was the exact color of the walls and that was why we couldn't see him. Now he turned into the color of the floor. Thyme gasped in shock and leaped back.
I surged forward and leaped in front of Thyme and looked down on Avery. His pelt suddenly turned back to the black and red that it usually was. He gasped and looked up at me with round eyes. "Momma what just happened?"
Bobby straightened and crossed his arms. "Looks like we have another mutant," he whispered in Rogue's ear.
I felt my fur spike and I let out a low growl. I nudged Avery to his paws and sighed heavily. "Come on pups it's time for us to go."
Bobby rushed to the door to stop us. "Wait. Wait. You just learned that your pup is a mutant and you don't care."
I bared my teeth in the beginning of a snarl and shoved my ears forward. "Just let us pass," I hissed. "I need to deal with this alone!"
Bobby shrugged before Rogue tugged him aside and I dipped my head thankfully. I pushed myself out of the room with my pups following. They were stiff in terror and I knew that Bobby had scared them by saying that they were mutants.
"Momma Avery isn't a mutant, is he," asked Murk as she looked up at me with wild eyes.
"He is but a mutant isn't anything to be afraid of," I assured them as I turned toward our room. I pushed myself in with my pups trailing. I nudged them each toward their nests and plastered my ears against my head.
"Momma are we all mutants," asked Murk as she leaned forward with her tail tip brushing the ground.
I lowered my head and touched my nose to hers. "We don't know yet," I confessed as I looked at all of them sternly. "However there is a good possibility."
Avery looked to Thyme and I realized that she was talking to him. I was wondering if she was going to tell her brother about her own mutant power. That might make him clam down a bit.
"Are all of the people and wolves here mutants," inquired Reed as he lashed his tail.
I nodded slowly. "Yes everyone here is a mutant. Here they teach you how to control your powers and use them for the greater good. This is the best place for mutants to be and you will soon understand that once you actually start school."
Avery suddenly pushed forward and suddenly spread a wing. "Then what are these? I mean how do you use them?"
The other pups murmured in agreement and I let my shoulders slump. "You're right. I should tell you." I spread one of my own wings. "These wings are also what makes us so special. We can all fly."
"But we don't know how," complained Thyme as she narrowed her eyes. "We didn't know we were going to have powers either. Why didn't you tell us?"
"Because there never was a right time," I muttered as I swore under my breath. "I know it was wrong not to tell you but your father and I agreed to wait."
"Dad was in on this too," grumbled Reed into his chest fur in anger. "But why not tell us?"
"I wasn't sure how you would react," I murmured as I licked a paw and drew it over one of my ears. "Now what do you want me to do to make it up to you?"
The pups huddled a bit and spoke in rapid whispers and hisses. Once they were finished they turned to face me and they tapped their claws impatiently against the ground. "We want you to teach us how to fly."
I nodded slowly. "Alright done deal. Tomorrow I'll take you out to the basketball court and we'll practice."
"We want Poultice, Feldspar, Echo, Keen, the Professor, Logan, Bobby, and Rogue to be there too," added Murk as her tail tip lashed back in forth.
I smiled a bit and dipped my head. "I'll see what I can do. Would you like your father to be there too?"
"Yes," yipped Thyme as she exchanged a glance to Avery who nodded vigorously.
"Then he'll be there as well," I vowed before I strode around the nest and pushed my pups toward the middle. "Now I think it's time for you pups to have a nap."
"I don't want to nap," growled Reed as he bared his teeth at me. "We're too old for naps."
I narrowed my eyes. "If you don't nap then you can't go outside and play," I told them sternly and I knew that they would probably listen to me now.
They all grumbled before they began to curl up into their own little balls and they pressed against each other. I watched them settle before I realized I needed to talk to Thruster about flying. I sighed and lashed my tail, wondering who I could get to watch the pups.
I strode out of the den and saw Echo and Keen padding along together, whispering and giggling like pups their age did. They were probably beginning to develop feelings for each other if I had to guess but I was no love expert. I didn't take a mate until I was much much older than them. As my pups tell me I'm older than dirt.
Anyway I knew that they would do me a favor if I asked so I darted toward them and dipped my head. "Hey could I bother you with something?"
Keen smiled broadly. "Sure mom," he barked and my heart lifted. I was glad that he still called me that.
"What do you need Starlight," asked Echo as she wagged her tail.
"Could you watch my pups for a few heartbeats," I asked hopefully, ashamed that I was leaving my pups with everyone else. However they knew everyone who was watching them and I was just a room away so it made me feel a bit better. "I need to speak with Thruster about something."
"Sure," barked Echo before Keen could answer. He looked at Echo with narrowed eyes but she just nudged him aside. "If you don't mind me asking what do you need to talk to Thruster about?"
Usually I wouldn't tell her but she was going to be apart of it to. "My pups want to learn how to fly and they requested that you two be there along with some others."
"Do they want us to help," wondered Keen.
I shrugged. "Not really sure yet but they just wanted you to be there so could you come," I asked as I leaned forward.
They both nodded and I let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks that really means a lot to me."
Echo kinked her tail over her back and pushed her head against Keen's shoulder. "We'll go and watch your pups."
"Thanks Echo, Keen. They should be sleeping the whole time but if they wake up you can play," I called before I surged forward, toward the Professor's office. This was the time of day when the teachers met to discuss things that had happened during the school day since the actually school day was almost over. It was almost time for dinner.
I pushed myself into the room and saw Logan, the Professor, Storm, and Thruster, in the room. I let out a growl so that they knew that I was there. They all turned to look at me and I smiled.
"Starlight," breathed Thruster as he darted forward. "I didn't expect you to come here at this time."
"I know I thought I'd surprise you," I lied as I licked his cheek before I strode toward the group. "I'm actually here to speak with all of you."
"What do you need Starlight," asked Logan as he kneeled and stroked me.
"Well as my pups get older they'd like more independence," I explained as my tail tip twitch to and fro as I spoke. "They've requested that I teach them now to fly."
"Now," echoed Thruster in shock as his fur bristles. Storm leaned down and stroked his spine to try and calm him down. "But they're far from flying age! They haven't molted at all and how can we know that their wings are ready?"
I snorted in amusement. "They seem to think so," I pointed out before I strode toward my mate. "What age did you fly?"
He shuffled his paws. "I don't really remember. How about you?"
I turned away and bristled my fur. "I don't know either but I was very young. I just know that when I wanted to fly that I did. They want to fly so they will, whether of not we teach them or not Thruster."
Thruster sighed. "Fine," he rasped, giving in. "I'll help but I can't promise anything."
"I'm not asking you to," I shot as him sternly and he muttered into his chest fur but he seemed to agree. I turned back to Logan, the Professor, and Storm. "Could you three come? I think it would help if they had support."
"Sure," Storm exclaimed with a smile while Logan and the Professor nodded also. I wagged my tail and turned to my mate who was now scowling at me.
"What," I grumbled as I curled my lips up a bit in the beginning of a snarl. "You know you can't keep them pups forever Thruster. They need to grow and learn!"
"I didn't say they didn't," murmured Thruster as he lashed his tail. "It's just that they're so young."
I sighed and closed my eyes. "I know that you love them Thruster but next moon they'll be starting school here and they won't see us all the time. We need to prepare them for that." He looked down but I stretched out a paw and nudged his chin upward. "They are going to be X PAck members, instructed to care for a companion and that companion will be the most important thing in their lives. Even more important than us."
"No," snapped Thruster as he turned away from me and licked saliva from his jaws in rage. "I love my pups and I don't want them to be in the X Pack."
"And why not," I snarled, aware that Storm, Logan, and the Professor were feeling very uncomfortable. "Where else will they be safe? They are going to be mutants, Thruster! Out in the real world they will be experimented on and probably killed. This is the best place for them where they are with others like them."
Thruster barreled on me and for a heartbeat I thought he would attack me. To my relief he just tensed his muscles before he let out a strained breath, releasing all of his anger. "But if something happens to them while they're fighting for our cause-" He looked over to the Professor and shook his head gravely. "I would never forgive myself. "
"I wouldn't either," I assured him gently. "But that is why we have to keep them here. They have to learn how to control their powers and defend themselves with other who are having the same problems. Think about Poultice, Feldspar, Echo, Keen, just to name a few. They do much better here then they ever would in a pack of wolves."
Thruster bit his lip and curled his claws into his pads. "I just don't want our pups to die in a war that we didn't wage. We're just helping a side."
I shook my head. "We're apart of it now. No side is truly innocent," I pointed out with my ears sticking straight up. "Now will you help us?"
Thruster let out a sigh and narrowed his eyes to unforgiving slits. "I suppose but I swear if anything we ever do hurts one of them I won't be able to live with myself."