Parenthood for villains

Chapter 9: stories and nightmares

"Alright kids, cuddle up and I'll tell you the story behind my motives and why I am the way I am." Mephiles proclaimed as he sat in the rocking chair in the nursery. Miles lay asleep in his arms as Sonic sat in the crib, and his brothers sat in their bed with their blankets covering them. "Now, it all started years ago when I was a young man in search for adventure, I had left my home where most of the people had powers of their own. I didn't know what my powers were at the time since there was no need for such things when I was always happy.

"I traveled far and wide til I found what I didn't even know I searched for. She was so beautiful, with her lavender quills that hung past her hips and a smile that could melt anyone's heart. She had so much kindness and love in her that nothing could damper her, and we had fallen for each other almost instantly. Against the will of her family we got married and started our family with a litter of five hoglets who each possessed a fraction of my powers and all their mother's kindness.

"They grew up happy until they were sent to school where they were bullied until their hearts hardened and they hid their powers afraid of who they were. They were called monsters and villains though they hadn't an ounce of my rebelliousness in them. When they had reached their teen years word got out to the government who viewed us as threats and the army was sent to dispose of us. I told the kids to run and use their powers to protect themselves but they refused, stuck in the fear of being seen as the bad guys. They were killed one by one until My wife and I were left and the soldiers scoffed at our pain. In anger I charged at them only to be shot down and they taunted me before pulling the trigger wanting to end my life.

"But my wife ran into the path of the bullet, sacrificing herself to keep me alive. It was what hurt my sanity most as I had turned into a villain and desomated their forces. My powers emerged and transformed me into the monster you see now and since then I've always been in this monstrous form." He finished his tale quietly as he laid Miles down next to the sleeping Sonic letting both of them cuddle each other which was needed for their growth and development.

He then went to his own room where he laid down on his bed and stared at the picture on his nightstand. The picture revealed a family long gone who stood smiling with joy that had died with them. The five hoglets who had clung to their father were mixed colors and personalities that complimented both the parents. The mother stood calmly with her arm around her husband who appeared to be the happiest of them all with soft green eyes and light gray fur his quills were softly striped with a lighter gray.

The sight of that picture made his memories burn pain into his heart as he growled and rolled over not wanting to dwell in that pain. He had started to fall asleep when a soft sobbing alerted him to the visitor. He turned his head to see Silver standing there clutching his little bear to his chest as tears ran down his face. Mephiles sat up as he rubbed his head quills making the hoglet back up as if afraid, seeing that he paused and watched the kid start to breathe a tad harder in slight panic.

"What's the matter kid?" He muttered gently, "Did you have a nightmare?" Silver nodded vigorously and held tighter to his toy as his ears pinned down and his eyes grew big with fear. "Alright, alright. Come here, let me help you."

As if eager for the support the little hoglet climbed onto the bed and curled up on Mephiles' lap pressing himself into the dark chest fur. His little bear he hid between his chest and knees as he closed his eyes, slowly relaxing and falling back to sleep. Mephiles watched him silently before resting a hand on the hoglet's head, he then went into Silver's mind and found the nightmare that had scared him so badly.

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Silver sat in the corner of his old home as he watched his father beat up Shadow who always took the beatings instead of his younger brothers. He cried silently as his brother collapsed from the pain and injuries inflicted, his body so mangled that blood pooled on the floor. Then his father turned to him where he hid in the corner holding Sonic close, hiding his little brother's eyes and ears from the terrors.

"You all are pitiful and useless! It's all because of you that this family is falling apart!" Their father growled angrily as his fur color changed and he began to morph as he grabbed the two by their scruffs, his long deadly claws digging painfully into their tender pelts. Silver looked up through his tears as his father's face morphed into that of Mephiles who laughed evilly revealing his fangs that grew sharp and long. That mouthful of sharp hungry teeth then moved to devour the hoglets as an evil laugh sounded from the distance echoing through the kid's mind.

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Mephiles re-emerged in his room, the hoglet still sleeping on his lap, a shiver ruffling his whitish fur every so often. 'How does he still trust me?' he wondered silently as he held the disturbing nightmare in his claws watching it play out over and over til the pain of being seen as a monster by his own adopted kid made his growling insanity grow. In the build up he clenched his hand that held the nightmare crushing the scene into non-existence with a growl before he turned his eyes back to the sleeping hoglet who ruffled a bit and pressed deeper into his adoptive father's chest.

A soft smile appeared on Mephiles' face as he rested his hand again on Silver's head, replacing the nightmare with something better before curling up with the kid next to him and falling asleep. He knew he'd never see his old family again but the new family he had thrust upon himself was slowly filling the void. He was slowly losing the urge to maim and kill others as his attention was pulled by the kids whom he was starting to warm up to.