Octonauts Agere One-Shots

Lightning and Thunder (Kwazii & Calico Jack, ft. Kwazii's mother)

Little: Kwazii
CG: Calico Jack

TW: abuse

     Kwazii felt absolutely horrible.
     He wasn't sure which he felt worse about: the loud thunderclaps ringing in his ears, the knowledge that a wooden pirate ship wasn't the best place to be during a storm, or the fact that his whining and mewling had awoken his grandfather, who had taken it upon himself to soothe Kwazii like a kitten.
     He wasn't a kitten. He wasn't a kitten. He was a kitten, but he shouldn't be.
     He shouldn't be.
     He whimpered, burying his face farther into Jack's neck, as another boom rang out across the waves. Every lightning strike was like his father was once again beating him senseless. His breathing was heavy and deep as he held tightly onto the older pirate. Normally, the ship would only rock gently back and forth. Now, it was shaking just as bad, if not worse than, as the bright orange cat inside.
     "Looks like the lightning's calmed down fer a bit, lad."
     Quivering, Kwazii slowly removed his nose from his grandfather's clavicle, and instead stared directly up at him. He was met with a soft smile, the cheerful big, blue eyes gazing down upon him.
     "Aye, tha's better... don't worry, gran'pa's got ye..."
     Kwazii put his head down, ashamed. He couldn't believe himself as he looked down at his paws. This was helping him? This? Being held and spoken to like a toddler? This was what made him feel safe? He winced and crossed his arms as his father's cruel words creeped back into his mind.

     'You disgusting little fucking bastard.'
     Kwazii winced as his father struck his back with the belt once more.
     'If I ever see you wearing a diaper again, I will throw you off this ship, you hear?'
     'Y-yes, dad...'
     The belt struck him again. He held back his tears, daring not to cry.
     'And if I see your mother allowing you to wear the fucking things, she will get it ten times worse than you!'

     He shivered at the memory. He could still feel the strokes on his back. He could still hear his father yelling expletives at him. God, it was horrific.
     "Hey... ye alright, lad? Wha's going on in yer' mi-"
     Jack let out a yelp of surprise and pain as Kwazii pushed himself off of the older one, making a mad dash for the stairs. Unfortunately, there weren't many places to go on a pirate ship, so he went out to the closest place.
     That turned out to be a mistake. Now, he was in the thick of it, his fur getting soaked. Normally he loved the sensation of water in his fur, but rainwater was different. Instead of freely floating, his bright orange pelt drooped down along his body, weighing him down. He ran straight to the figurehead of the ship, launching himself onto the stone mermaid's head.
     This was another mistake. The stone was slippery from all the water, causing him to fall and his chin to hit the hard surface, stunning him. Black spots danced across his blurred vision. Whether his eyes were filled with tears or rainwater, he couldn't say.
     He desperately clung to the stone figurehead. His claws instinctively unsheathed in an attempt to dig into the surface, but to no avail. There would be no gripping onto the smooth rock.
     This was it. This was going to be his grave. He would fall into the water and drown, unable to save himself from the current. That was how he would die. Not bravely, like he'd wanted. Like a scared kitten, crying out desperately. He couldn't hear his own shouts, but he knew exactly what he was saying.
     "MOMMY! MOMMY, HELP ME! MOMMY!"
    His words turned to sobs as he cried helplessly, awaiting his fate on the ocean floor. He waited for the fall. The crash. The water in his lungs. He began to lose consciousness, his mews for help quieting. The last thing he felt was a grubby paw gripping his own before he blacked out.

     Kwazii opened his eyes. He expected to be dead. Was he dead? He wasn't sure.
     Sitting up, he realized he was at sea on a ship. But it was calm and clear, instead of stormy. He stood up, looking down as he heard a crinkle below him. The white plastic of his diaper wrapped around his rear and nether regions pressed up against his fur. He knew he should feel shame.
     But for some reason, he didn't.
     Instead, he felt safe. Happy. Carefree. This was right where he was meant to be. 
     "Happy, lad?"
     He whipped around and did a double take, rubbing his eyes. Could it be? No, it couldn't. But it could. And it was.
     His now clear eyes stared at the face of his mother, smiling down at him. He must be dreaming. Or dead. Slowly, she took his paw, leading him down into the lower deck of the ship.
     "I bet ye must feel so good, huh?" She asked as she walked with him, his diaper crinkling with every step.
     "Mum, am-"
     She turned back to face him.
     "No need for silly grown-up words like that here. It's 'mummy', little one."
     She smiled and continued on her way. Kwazii felt relieved. Relieved that he could call his mother such a childish name.
     "Mummy... am I dead?"
     "No, and I don't think ye will be anytime soon."
     "Did... did grandpa save me?"
     "Yes. Ye will say thanks to him, right?"
     "O'course!"
     "Good lad."
     She led him down into her quarters, sitting on the bed and allowing him to sit on the carpeted floor. 
     "Go ahead and play." She said as Kwazii noticed the toys around him. His eyes instinctively darted to his dragon stuffy, Atlas. He smiled as he hugged the plush, giggling. In a moment of pure bliss, he showed the stuffy off to his mother. "Look, mummy! Atlas!" He proclaimed, giggling. His mother giggled back. "Aye, tha's him alright. And wha' a cutie he is! Just like ye."
     He blushed at the compliment as he scanned the floor for more toys. He spotted a toy sword, crawling over to it with his bum up in the air. He took it and stood up, his legs feeling unnaturally wobbly, and slashed it through the air. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, imagining himself slaying ginormous sea beasts and fighting 40-men pirate crews all on his own. He hadn't realized how much time he'd spent playing until he finally crashed on his mummy's bed, exhausted.
     His mother smiled and peered down at him. "All tuckered out, little laddie?" She asked. Kwazii nodded in reply, snuggling up against her soft fur. Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation in his legs.
    "H-huh? Wha's happenin'?" He asked, afraid. His mother sighed and shook her head.
     "I'm afraid it's time for ye t' leave, hun."
     Leave? No, no, no. No leaving. Kwazii didn't want to leave. He didn't want it to end. It couldn't end, it couldn't. He had to stay, he had to.
     "N-no!" He yowled, instinctively diving into his mother's chest as she rubbed his back, comforting him.
     "I'm sorry, sweetie. Ye have to." She said solemnly.
     He sobbed uncontrollably into her, his tears soaking into her fur. "I don't want t' leave, mummy! I don't want t' leave!" He yelled, bawling. She gently pulled him away and tilted his head up towards you.
     "Ye will be back again, my dear. But for now, ye must return t' yer friends. They're waitin' for ye."
     He finally began to quiet. She was right. He needed to return. He needed to return to the nasty, dark, horrible world. His friends and family were there. He needed them.
     "Promise me I'll get to come back?"
     "Promise, matey."
     She smiled and hugged him as his vision faded to black.

     He awoke with a start, making Jack and Peso jump away. He looked down at his own paws. They were no longer soft and fluffy like in his dream, but slightly rough and matted. It took him a second to notice the presence of his grandfather, who immediately began examining him all over.
     "Dear lord, Kwazii, what were ye thinkin'!? Ye could have been killed!"
     Kwazii instinctively moved away from Jack's grasp, leaving the older pirate confused.
     "Kwazii, please stay still, lad! Let me just-"
     "Don't hurt me!"
     Both Jack and Peso stopped and moved away, surprised by Kwazii's sudden outburst. The wheels in the older cat's mind slowly began to turn. The thunder, the mewling for his mother, the fear... it all made sense now. He realized where Kwazii was in his own mind.
     "Kwazii... it's okay. I'm grandpa, see? Not daddy. Grandpa. Ye remember me, lad?"
     Kwazii slowly came to his senses as Jack spoke in a soothing voice. He slowly calmed, letting his grandfather come near. His mind had been truly regressed to that of a kitten.
     "G-gran'pa...?" He croaked out as Jack hugged him.
     "Aye, it's me. Yer okay. I'm not mad, and I'm not gonna hurt ye."
     Jack smiled and patted his grandson's back.
     "Where's... where's m-mummy...?"
     "She's gone away."
     "To th' sea...?"
     "Aye, lad. To the sea."
     "When's she comin' back...?"
     "Can't say, Kwazii."
     The two stayed there for a while, just embracing each other happily. This was nice. This was a nice moment. Just two happy pirates, hugging.


Author's note: Okay, so, I know this ends kind of abruptly, but I get super tired of writing after a while. There will be a part two, however! And this won't be the last we see of Kwazii's mother.