Baby Beginnings

     "Margle, haven't I told you to knock?" Myjewelprincess, a baby Aisha, said with an exasperated sigh, getting up from her seat at the window.

     "I'm truly sorry, M'lady. I've been answering questions from the other babies this morning. One of them was this, 'How did Baby Neoschool start?' I'm not sure how to answer that. You see, you only told me that you wanted to share your adventuring skills with other babies," Margle replied nervously, adjusting his glasses that were three sizes too large for him.

     "Did I never tell you?" Myjewelprincess said with a caressing voice that was far too mature for her, her face softening. Margle had never seen this side of her before. "It's time you, and the others, learn," Myjewelprincess said, stroking a picture of a baby Aisha Margle hadn't even noticed.

     "Who's that?" he asked curiously.

     "I never found out. But he was the reason I know everything I do," Myjewelprincess, or Jewel, replied. "Here's my story."

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     It all started when my owner finally saved up for a baby paintbrush. You see, I was her first pet, born as a blue Aisha. When she got it, she wanted to paint me. I'd never seen a baby Aisha then so I was very excited. As I was painted baby though, my body started to shrink but my head stayed the same size (don't worry, it's supposed to happen, I just didn't know that)! I screamed. I had to drag my head around all day. I had always been an adventurous Aisha and I didn't want that to stop. So I dragged my head around, down the alleyways for a few hours, until suddenly I saw a shadow.

     "Need some help?" I heard a voice say and just as I was about to turn my head to the voice, I felt a tug on my tail and suddenly my head straightened up! I was so surprised, I slowly turned my head around and there was a male baby Aisha holding my tail with his paw. I yelped in surprise and jerked away, my head hitting the ground with a loud THUD. I moaned as I rubbed my head.

     "Sorry, didn't mean to give you such a scare," the male baby Aisha said coming over to me. "It just didn't look like you knew how to hold your head up."

      "I don't. I was just a bit startled, that's all," I said.

      "I could show you if you like." he said giving me a bright smile. And without waiting for an answer, he tugged my tail again and started explaining about how a baby Aisha's tail holds its head up.

     I grew very fond of him in those few hours, and by the time it was time to go home, I could walk with my head straight up!

     "I guess I better go, will I see you again?" I said shyly, getting up from where I was sitting.

     "Maybe, if you come back here," he said with a toothy grin.

     I smiled and walked away. My owners and siblings raised an eyebrow at me when I came home that day but didn't say anything.

     The next day, I went back to that alleyway. He was standing there, waiting for me with a big toothy grin. He taught me all sorts of things, how to climb up a straight wall, how to vanish without a trace, plenty of things. I never thought to ask him why he was in that alleyway, but I did ask him his name.

     "My name is not necessary, nor is a title. I will only be known to you as whatever you want," he said with a soft smile.

     I've always referred to him as Brother.

     He was my mentor, but he was so much more than that. He was my brother, he was my friend, he was someone I could rely on, someone I loved. But... He ended, as do all good things. We were sitting on a hill near the alley way and we had a chat I will never forget.

     "You've come a long way, Jem," he said using his nickname for me.

     "Why?" I asked, looking out at the city below. He glanced at me with a look that told me to continue. "Why did you teach me everything you did? Why did you help me when you could have moved along?" I said, putting my arms around my legs.

     "You needed help. I want babies to prosper, to have a big part of this world. Just because we're young doesn't mean we're incapable. Babies are used as trophies, or cute things to cuddle and pamper. I want us to be more than that, I want us to be heroes. To be more than what we are. I've done my part, yours is next," he said, putting his arm around me.

     "What are you-?" I said, confused. But I was cut off by a shadow. I gasped. It was Dr. Death. Brother gave him a sad smile like he was expecting him. Dr. Death picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

     "Brother!" I cried, getting up, but I tripped.

     "It's your turn, Jem," Brother said, giving me a sad smile. Dr. Death gave a grunt and went away.

     I lay there crying for hours 'till the sun set. Finally I picked myself up the ground and ran home. My tears had stopped but eyes were still red from crying. I burst into the house in a fresh set of tears and ran up to my room. I locked the door and lay there, weeping. My family tried to cheer me up but eventually gave up, due to my unresponsive reactions and a locked door. I cried long into the night, finally crying myself to sleep. My dreams were filled with memories.

     I wept all through breakfast the next morning, and lunch. By the time dinner rolled around I was just lying there thinking. I was out of tears so I thought about the last words he told me.

     "You needed help." "I want babies to prosper, to have a big part of this world." "It's your turn." They flashed through my mind. I finally decided, I wouldn't just sit there feeling sorry for myself, I would make his dream come true. It was my turn to teach other babies what he taught me. It was my turn to help babies prosper.

     So I set to work, I designed ways to teach others, to set up the area and I taught the babies who would help me teach others. I built the area from scratch, I designed it, got the materials and built it.

     Eventually, little by little, it became what it is today.

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     "I'm not sure where he went, but I know he would be happy if he knew what his work had become," Jewel said, pocketing the picture and turning to Margle. He had just been standing there the whole time listening intently. He couldn't believe it, the skilled Jewel he knew couldn't hold her head up when she was first painted baby. Jewel chuckled.

     "Well, I better go put that down. See you later, M'lady," Margle said, bowing, and scurried out the door.

     Jewel turned her attention back to the window and for a brief moment, thought she saw a little male baby Aisha with a big toothy grin waving at her.

The End