Chapter 2: A Family Gathering

With Rudolph having come into the world, time passed a lot quicker for Dasher and Marena than it had ever done before. The snowy winter came and went, like a ferocious Beartic stomping around the mountaintops, causing trouble left and right. Food in the wild was scarce, but Dasher and Marena made do with what they could find for Rudolph, which mostly consisted of berries and grass. The Sawsbucks' thick coats provided respite from the frigid winds, but Rudolph was still a Deerling, and thus had no such protection. Of course, Dasher and Marena were all too happy to let him snuggle into their furry bosoms for warmth, savoring every moment they could spend with their darling child.

Not long after, winter bid goodbye to Christmastown, and spring sprung forth like a baby Buneary bouncing around for the first time, soft and warm, but skittish. Whole gardens of flowers grew from the snow trodden ground, their delicate blossoms scenting the warming air with fresh, sweet nectar, bringing much needed beauty and color to the world. The coming of spring was the promise of a new beginning. For Rudolph, this was his first spring, and by this time, he went from a fresh newborn who knew nothing of the world to a joyful, energetic little fawn. He remained with his parents, but was always eager to learn new things about the world and himself.

One day, Dasher and Marena had taken Rudolph out to a little clearing in the woods. Large, deep green conifer trees provided a spotty barrier against the sunlight, and the pink furred fawn leaped and danced across the grassy meadow, eyes alight at everything new he saw. Everything around him was so shiny and new, coated with glistening dew and brimming with life. His long, almond-shaped ears caught the birdsong of wild Pokemon that soared over the skies, and the croaking of the frog Pokemon that occasionally leaped across rainwater ponds. At one point, Rudolph stopped to see a cluster of large, yellow flowers blooming next to a big rock. He had seen his mother glance at them a few times before, but in a different area. Would she like them? With this thought in mind, Rudolph pulled on a clump of them with his teeth, yanking the sunny blooms out from the ground before galloping over to his mother.

"Mama! Mama!" Rudolph set the flowers down by his mother's hooves. "I brought you flowers!"

"Daffodils! My, they're lovely!" Marena used her mouth to pick them up, then stuck them into the tuft of her on her chest. She then lowered her head to lick the flower on her son's head. "Thank you dear. I love them so much."

"They're flowers, not daffodils!" Rudolph exclaimed.

Marena broke into a light chuckle. "There are many different flowers that have their own names. These yellow ones you gave me are called daffodils," She pointed to the flowers in her fur with one hoof, then pointed towards a rosebush nearby. "See those pretty red ones? Those are roses."

Rudolph looked up, curious. "Roses?"

"Yes. There are also pink roses, white roses, and yellow roses as well."

Instantly curious, Rudolph trotted over to the rose bush, his red nose wrinkling as he took in a fresh new scent. Marena went back to Dasher's side, laying down on a patch of grass, nuzzling against her husband's glossy coat of brown fur. The flowers on their antlers had already started to bloom, their pink petals fresh and ready to take in sunlight. The spots on their coats turned from snow white to the shade of pink seen on the clouds when the morning sun rose. But when Marena looked up to meet his face, she saw that his ears drooped downward, pointing to the grass, and a faraway look in his eyes. Something was on his mind.

"What's wrong, Dashie?" Marena asked.

"Well…" Dasher's voice lowered to a whisper. "I ran into Blitzen and Cupid the other day. They told me they want to see Rudolph."

"Sounds nice! I bet Ruru would love to meet his uncles," Marena chirruped. "What's got you so worried, then?"

The answer was obvious, but Dasher decided to get it off his chest. "I'm scared to see how they react to Rudolph's nose…" His voice was tight with concern. He and Marena may have gotten used to Ruru's red nose by now, but relatives, people, and Pokemon outside their family may not be so understanding or accepting. Anything could happen. "There's never been a red nosed Deerling in existence before, and I don't know how my brothers are going to react when they see him. Plus, Cupid has a bad habit of blowing things out of proportion and being too dramatic for his own good."

Marena listened to her husband's worries without a word, taking everything in with perked up ears. "Don't get me wrong, I want Ruru to meet the rest of his family. But if something happens and my brothers pick on him...I don't want to put Ruru through that kind of pain," Dasher shook his head, ordering the scary images in his head to take a hike. He didn't have it in him to imagine his son being ostracized by his extended family over his red nose. The last thing Dasher wanted was to accidentally put his own son in a situation that might end up ruining his confidence and self-esteem.

"That is a possibility," Marena mused, using her hoof to push down some grass. "But we don't know that it'll actually happen. Besides, your brothers are good Sawsbuck. Have they ever behaved in that manner before?"

"Not intentionally, no," Dasher answered. "But again, Cupid can be rather...insensitive, and he often lets his mouth run away from him."

"True, and it's not like I haven't had the same concerns," As much as she sympathized with her husband's worries, Marena was a Sawsbuck who preferred to see things for herself and then judge the aftermath rather than sit around and be wracked with doubt. "Personally, I think we should go through with it as is. Let's just see how everything plays out, and in the event something does happen, you know we can find a way to handle it."

Good point. What point was there in worrying about something that hadn't happened yet? Dasher nodded in agreement. If anyone tried to make fun of Ruru, Dasher and Marena would be there to rectify the situation. That was really all there was to it. For now, at least. Besides, who was to say his family wouldn't like Ruru?

"Papa!" Speak of the Darkrai, Ruru came leaping towards his parents in a single bound, eyes bright as the morning dew. "Guess what? I saw a Scorbunny just now!"

"Did you?" Dasher leaned closer to Ruru to lick the flower on his head affectionately. "They sure are bouncy little Pokemon, aren't they?"

"You were right! I saw it jump really high!" Ruru jumped up, but barely made it past a foot in the air. Understandable, as his legs, while stronger than they were when he was born, hadn't completely finished developing just yet. "I wish I could jump like that!"

"You will when you're older, sweetie," Marena said. "By the way, we have something we want to tell you."

Ruru cocked his head to one side. "What is it?"

"Well, your mother and I were talking just now," Dasher began. "And some time this week, we plan on visiting some family in Christmastown. My brothers Cupid and Blitzen, who happen to be your uncles."

"What's an uncle?" Ruru asked, having never heard that word before.

"Your father's brothers, of course," Marena explained succinctly. "Since you're our child and not theirs, that makes you their nephew."

It didn't take much for Ruru to put the pieces together. "There's more to my family than just you guys?"

"Yes. A family isn't just a mom, a dad, and a child, Ruru," Dasher continued on. "You also have aunts, grandparents, and cousins. My two brothers, Cupid and Blitzen, told me they want to meet you sometime. Would you like to meet more of your family?"

More family? Ruru found the idea quite appealing. He couldn't believe his family was much bigger than he thought. All this time, he thought his family consisted of just himself, his mother, and father. But uncles, aunts, cousins, and grandparents? How could he possibly pass up this chance? Ruru began jumping around them, his legs springing off the ground and stretching outward as he did so. "Would I! Of course I wanna! Yay, more family!" His red nose glowed in tune with every jump, as if powered by his enthusiasm.

Ruru was so absorbed in his excitement that he didn't look where he was going. Something stopped him in his tracks, and he felt something hard against his body. The impact made him roll backward, making his head spin. When he reoriented himself and looked up, he saw something odd standing in front of him. The figure was taller than he was, and it didn't look like anything he had ever seen before. The strange figure stood on two legs instead of four, with long arms that cradled a white bundle, holding it close to its chest.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" The figure exclaimed, holding a hand to her mouth. "Are you okay? I didn't see you there."

The fawn got back on his feet, looking up at her with a combination of awe and fright. Just what was this thing? It didn't look like any Pokemon he had seen before. He had no words to describe the figure in front of him, but he liked her eyes. They were a bright, shimmering blue, like the sky above them.

"I'm fine," Ruru stammered. "Sorry I rolled into ya."

"It's okay!" The strange thing told him kindly. "Now you be careful. Bye!"

Ruru nodded, and the odd-looking...whatever that was ran deeper into the meadow. Ruru squinted his eyes to see something white in its arms, but couldn't make out what it was. The young Deerling could only stand there, staring at the spot where the strange figure ran off to, even as Marena approached him.

"Was that a Pokemon just now?" Ruru asked once he took in his mother's presence.

"Nope. That's a human," Marena said. "Humans aren't like Pokemon. They're the dominant species of this world. That human in particular is a girl, like I am."

A human...Ruru found himself enchanted by this new knowledge. He saw his very first human, a woman at that. But other questions pecked at his mind like a Spearow using its beak to peck at berries. "What was that stuff on her body?"

"Those are clothes. Humans wear them for protection against the weather, like the cold or the heat. We don't need them because our bodies are covered in fur," Marena explained further. "That stuff on her head is hair. It's like fur, only it covers their heads instead of their bodies."

"Ohhhh…" Humans were so different from Pokemon. Ruru had to wonder if the world had many more humans just like that lady he saw just now. Whatever the case, that woman just now was nice. Ruru secretly hoped he'd see her again someday.

Several days after that, the time had come for Ruru to meet his extended family. At noon, Dasher, Marena, and Ruru left their beloved cave, making their way through tree lined paths that led to another part of Christmastown. The sun was high in the sky again, with nary a cloud in sight. Like before, Ruru stayed close to his parents, both excited and nervous about this new venture. A few hours before, his parents educated him on how to act in certain situations, teaching him polite ways to say certain things, how to act in certain situations, acting them out so Ruru could practice, and so on. Ruru wasn't confident he had it all down just yet, but kept it all in his head, playing the memories in his mind over and over again.

Eventually, they found themselves in the town square. Ruru hid behind his father, intimidated by the wide open space before him. Cobblestoned streets greeted him, and a stone fountain with a Horsea sculpture on the top stood in the middle, with the Horsea shooting water from its nozzle. Many humans and Pokemon went to and fro, going about their day. Ruru saw a smiling woman showing some people and Pokemon a large variety of flowers. Particularly big red ones, but they weren't the roses he had seen a few days before in the park. Some fish-like Pokemon leapt out from the water in the fountain, showing off their glistening fins and acting like they were putting on a show.

Some bird Pokemon pecked at the ground by Ruru's feet. The three he saw were small, grey birds with black markings on their wings and tails, big yellow eyes, and fluffy chest fur shaped like hearts. Curious, Ruru approached them gingerly, wondering if they were friendly.

"Good morning," Ruru greeted them.

The three bird Pokemon turned to look, tilting their heads to one side, taking in his presence. A quick minute later, one of them said, "Good morning!" back to him.

"What Pokemon are you?"

"I'm a Pidove, as are my friends here," The Pidove extended his wing out to point towards his two comrades.

Ruru had never seen a Pidove before, especially not up close. He smiled sweetly at them, happy to have made some new friends. As much as he wanted to spend time with them, he had to rejoin his parents when they called for him. The Pidove trio did wave their wings at him in parting, and he waved back with one hoof. Maybe he'd see them again someday.

Gradually, the town plaza disappeared behind him as the family made their way into another clearing. It didn't have as many trees as their own forest abode did, so it was spacious enough for lots of Pokemon to come out and play. Sure enough, a group of Sawsbuck came into view, turning their heads towards Ruru and his family, watching them with a serene gaze. Ruru stayed behind his mother as the trio approached the group of Sawsbuck.

"Hey there, Dash!" One Sawsbuck with thick, stately antlers leaped in front of them in a single bound. "Glad you came!"

"Hello, Cupid," Dasher mused, backing away two feet, as Cupid had come a little too close for his liking.

Another Sawsbuck quickly joined Cupid's side. "Now now, Cue. Back up a little, will ya?"

Realizing his error, Cupid stepped back. "Sorry, Blitzen."

"Anyway, we're glad you could stop by," Blitzen greeted them with a smile, waving his antlers in a graceful arc. Some flower petals lightly fell off of them, floating down to the ground like feathers.

"Us as well," Marena said.

"By the way," Cupid began looking around. "Where's your new fawn? Did you bring him?"

By new fawn, they meant Ruru. Dasher turned to face his son, who timidly hid behind his mother. "Rudolph? You can come out, sweetheart," He whispered gently. "These two are my brothers, Cupid and Blitzen. They're your uncles. Do you want to say hello?"

Cupid and Blitzen...Ruru had been looking forward to meeting his extended family all week, but now that he was here, any confidence he had wavered. Another Sawsbuck had joined them soon after, wearing a pink bow around its neck. Were these Sawsbuck really his relatives? They all had smiling eyes and big, strong antlers. Surely they had to be nice, right? Ruru gingerly ambled out from behind his mother, slowly approaching the trio of Sawsbuck in front of him.

"Hello...I'm Ruru," He stammered.

"Hi there! I'm your uncle Blitzen! Nice to meet'cha, buddy!" Blitzen lowered his head to Ruru's level, gently brushing the flower on his head with one hoof. The touch was firm but gentle, and Ruru grinned under the pleasant sensation. "This here is my wife, your aunt Isolde."

"You have a beautiful son, Marena," Isolde said.

Marena blushed under the praise.

Not long after, Ruru caught a glimpse of two Deerling approaching them from behind. They were just a little bigger than he was, but when they got close, they took a moment to sniff him and check for signs of danger. Ruru looked down at their black noses...and that was when he realized it.

Their noses were black. His was red.

Did all Deerling have black noses?

The two Deerling didn't seem to take notice. "Hi there! We're your cousins! Wanna play?" One of the Deerling, a young doe, invited him to play. Overjoyed, Ruru joined them in their play, leaping and jumping across the grass, his worries gone like a passing wind.

As such, the five adults were all by themselves, exchanging friendly greetings and pleasantries. Dasher smiled as he saw Ruru and his two cousins pushing a ball around with their noses. He was so sure things would go badly, and the last thing he wanted was to unknowingly embarrass Ruru in front of his extended family. But seeing the joyful grin on his face was well worth it.

"I gotta ask, what's up with little Rudolph's nose?"

And with just one sentence, Dasher's joy fizzled out. He swiveled towards his brother, eyes wide with alarm.

"I mean, it's all red. Aren't Deerling's noses supposed to be black?" Cupid asked.

"Shh!" Blitzen was quick to shush him. "Don't be rude."

"I admit, I'm curious as well," Isolda joined in on the conversation quickly. "Why is Rudolph's nose red?"

Marena gave a light chuckle. "Now now, there's no cause for alarm. It's just a physical condition Ruru was born with. It's nothing to worry about," She explained without missing a beat. "It's called Glowing Nose Syndrome. For some reason. Ruru's nose randomly lights up. He's not sick for anything."

Isolde let out a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness for that. I was worried for a second there."

"But it's kinda strange, isn't it?" Cupid inquired once more. "A Deerling born with a red nose that lights up. Kinda funny lookin' if you ask me."

"Cupid!" Dasher hissed.

What a surprise. This wasn't the first time Cupid had tactlessly pointed out someone's disfigurements. Dasher himself had been a constant victim of his comments since fawnhood. But one would think he'd have grown out of that now that he became a buck. Old habits die hard, indeed. He knew Cupid wasn't being deliberately mean, just curious, but his mouth often got ahead of his brain. Even so, a word out of line could lead to a variety of problems, especially if certain people or Pokemon got wind of Ruru's red nose.

"I think he has a handsome nose," Marena piped in. "Speaking of the children, your little ones have grown quite a bit, Blitzen."

Dasher sighed. Leave it to Marena to take control of the situation and prevent it from getting worse. He wished he was as confident and self-assured as she was.

"Yep!" Blitzen stole a glance at his children. "Seems like Geno and Gurri really took to Ruru, there!"

Geno was his son, and Gurri was his daughter. The two of them were twins born in the previous summer, so they were much older than Ruru. The three Deerlings pushed around a big gray ball, sometimes with their noses, sometimes with their hooves, marveling whenever it bounced high in the sky or rapidly on the ground. At one point, the ball almost bounced away from them, but Ruru circled around it and bopped it back to the twins.

"Nice one, Ruru! You're getting good at this!" Gurri exclaimed, taking the ball under one of her legs.

"This is fun!" Ruru cheered when he rejoined them, throwing his long legs into the air with glee.

"Do you wanna play tag with us next?" Geno asked. "I can show you how to play."

A new game? Ruru found the idea quite appealing. "Sure! Please do!"

Unfortunately, they didn't get the chance to play. Ruru wound up jumping right in front of Geno, his excitement bubbling over like soda fizz. Right as his and Geno's eyes met, Ruru's red nose suddenly flashed. Geno saw red, and he let out a yelp as he squeezed his eyes shut, covering them with his hooves. The flash seemed to come out of nowhere, and Geno, unable to keep steady, rolled over backwards, nearly hitting his head on a large rock just a couple feet away.

"What the?!" Ruru stopped as soon as he saw his cousin just barely miss said rock. "Are you okay?!"

"Nnngh…" Green spots flashed in the darkness as Geno kept his eyes closed. He was able to sit back upright.

"Geno! What happened?" Gurri cried, immediately swiveling towards Ruru.

"I don't know! My nose just lit up in front of his face!"

"Geno!" Just as quickly, the adults came rushing over. Isolde in particular rushed right over, throwing herself between her son and Ruru, her once soft eyes flashing fire. "You!" Her voice turned harsh as she bleated right in Ruru's direction. The red nosed Deerling could only shrink backwards, overwhelmed by the anger being thrown at him. "What did you do to my boy?! Did you hurt him?!"

"No, ma'am! I swear! It was an accident!" Ruru cried, his legs trembling. But the question did linger in his mind. Did he hurt his cousin? Ruru hadn't meant to, and he certainly didn't make his nose glow on purpose. But what if his nose made Geno unable to see? He didn't know what he'd do if he had hurt his cousin, and they had only just met. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

But that was as far as her scolding went, as Dasher got right in her face. "You're accusing my son of hurting your boy?!"

"Dasher! Isolde! Calm down!" Marena wasted no time getting between them. The last thing she wanted was for a fight to break out. "Playing the blame game isn't helping."

Ruru didn't know what the blame game was, but he agreed with his mother right then and there.

Blitzen approached his son gingerly, examining his body for any potential injuries. From the looks of it, he didn't see any lacerations, gashes, marks, or bumps of any kind. Not long after, Geno opened his eyes again.

"Whoa…" Geno's gaze fixed right onto Ruru's nose. "Did your nose really light up just now?"

"You alright, Geno?" Blitzen asked.

It didn't take long for Geno's vision to return to normal, and he got right back on his hooves. "I'm fine."

A sigh of relief passed his lips. "Thank goodness. You gave us a scare, kid."

Geno walked towards Ruru, looking more curious than angry. Ruru's ears drooped backward, and he shrunk under his cousin's gaze. Was he going to be mad at him too? Just like his mother? He didn't look angry, but Ruru didn't want to take any chances.

"Hey, Ruru. Why'd you light your nose in my face?" Geno asked, his tone of voice no different than before.

"I'm so sorry!" Ruru lowered his head, overcome with guilt. "It wasn't on purpose, honest. It lit up on its own. It does that sometimes."

Dasher gently nudged Isolde with his nose. "See? It was all just an accident. Geno's okay, and that's all that matters here."

Isolde said nothing, but she kept her gaze locked onto her son.

Thankfully, Gurri was more sympathetic. She gently put a hoof on Ruru's back. "It's okay. I know you weren't trying to hurt him."

He hadn't expected Gurri to back him up. Touched by her kindness, Ruru allowed his body to relax. At least she knew for sure he wasn't trying to hurt her brother.

"Ohhh, so that's what it looks like when it lights up!" Cupid suddenly piped in out of nowhere. "You better control that nose of yours, Rudolph! You don't want to make everyone go blind!"

"Cupid!" Dasher snapped. Of course. Leave it to Cupid to completely ruin the mood, just when things were getting back to normal. "Shut your mouth for once! Don't you ever have any tact?!"

"No."

At least he was honest about it.

Fortunately, the rest of the day went without incident. Ruru, Gurri, and Geno played together until it was time to return home. Before they were to leave, Ruru noticed Isolde taking her fawns into a row of bushes. What were they doing? A desire to know consumed him, and he gingerly walked over to the spot where they gathered, hiding himself in a shrub so he wouldn't be noticed. But he was not at all prepared for what he heard.

"Children. I don't want you two playing with Rudolph again," Isolde told them.

"What?!" Both fawns cried out in shock, their ears standing straight up in alarm. "Why, Mom? He's our cousin, and I think he's cool!" Geno exclaimed.

"He nearly got you killed!" Isolde exclaimed. "You could have hit your head on that rock, cracked your skull, and bled to death!"

"Mom, it was an accident. It wasn't on purpose," Gurri protested, speaking on Ruru's behalf. "He wasn't trying to hurt Geno."

"Be quiet!" Isolde wasn't having any of it. "I am your mother, and what I say goes! I can't risk something like that happening again!"

"It won't!" Just like her mother, Gurri wasn't backing down. "He's not a bad Deerling! He's family! Besides, everything turned out alright. Geno's not hurt."

"Yeah!" Geno agreed. "I wanna teach him how to play hide and seek with us."

"No, Geno," Isolde asserted, shaking her head, making the blossoms on her antlers flutter just a bit. "You're not playing with that red nosed Deerling again, and that's final."

Ruru's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His aunt was telling her kids not to play with him? Which meant...she hated him? How could she hate him? Did she truly believe he was a bad Deerling? He hadn't meant to put Geno in danger. She knew that. His parents told her so. Or did she hate his red nose? He had been so excited to meet his extended family, but now Ruru wished he had just stayed in the cave. A day he had been looking forward to had been completely ruined. His own aunt hated him now.

"But that's not fair!" Gurri continued to protest. "Ugh, you're so overdramatic!"

No longer in any mood to hear more, Ruru dashed away, his vision blurring as fresh tears streamed down his cheeks. As happy as he was about his cousins not holding this against him, waves of guilt crashed down on him. What if something did happen to Geno? What could he have done to prevent this? Would everyone be angry at him or declare him a bad Deerling, should he have actually hurt him permanently? Ruru had no answer.

Except for one. Maybe his red nose was the problem.

"Ruru!" Gurri caught up to him. "Listen, Mom's really rattled about what happened, but I know you're not a bad Deerling."

"I know. Thanks for believing me," Ruru whispered.

"She's trying to make me and Geno stay away from you, but she's just being overly dramatic. Besides, when you start school in a few months, we can see each other," Gurri explained kindly. "You can make lots of friends and we can play all the time!"

School? Friends? On one hand, that sounded really nice. He had only heard bits and pieces about school, but lots of Deerling went there so they could learn how to be Santa Claus's special flying Sawsbuck when they got older. Ruru did want to go and meet lots of other Deerling. Making friends, playing games, learning new things...the whole concept of it sounded neat. On the other hand...what if a repeat of this incident happened to another Deerling he met, and the outcome turned out worse? Would they hate him for it? Or laugh at him? Or call him a bad Deerling? Or would they notice his red nose and make fun of him? Ruru stared down at the grass, unable to push away the doubt that gnawed at his heart like a hungry Ekans.

Eventually, Blitzen and his family left, with Cupid joining them, and Dasher, Marena, and Ruru returned to their cave. The red nosed Deerling tried to hold back tears, but when he saw his nose flash before his eyes, they came right out. Ruru sniffled and sobbed as the incident replayed in his head over and over. Isolde's cruel words cut to the bone. He couldn't fathom the idea of his own family hating him, and over something Ruru knew was an accident. But was she right to tell her kids to stay away? The answer he conjured in his mind came rushing back to him.

"I wish I had a normal nose."

"Ruru?" Marena sat down next to him, her eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong, dear?"

Without a word, Ruru nuzzled into his mother's chest fur. "I'm sorry, Mama. I really wasn't trying to hurt Geno, I swear."

"I know. I believe you, dear," Marena used one hoof to rub her son's back, holding back her own tears as she watched her son weep bitterly into her bosom.

"Aunt Isolde hates me now. She hates me…" Ruru sobbed, hiccuping with every word he spoke.

"She had no right to berate you like that. But I'm sure she knows in her heart that it wasn't your fault. What's important is that nobody got hurt," Marena whispered, but she could tell her attempt at consoling her son seemed hollow. "And don't pay your Uncle Cupid any mind. He always lets his mouth run away with him, so he can be insensitive. But he doesn't hate you, and neither does Blitzen."

It took a short moment, but Ruru's sobs fizzled out, and his cheeks were wet and sticky. "Would you and Papa like me better if I didn't have a red nose?"

What? Marena's breath caught in her throat, taken aback by her son's terrible question. How could Ruru even think something like that? Today's incident must have hurt him more than she initially thought. Then again, how could it not? His own aunt told her own kids to stay away from him. Marena could see the hate in her sister-in-law's eyes when she tried to mediate the situation. But she did not want her son to feel horrible about himself. Just watching him cry and blame himself for this incident was bad enough.

"Rudolph. I want you to listen to me," Marena's voice was still soft, but contained a stern undercurrent that left no room for nonsense. "You are my son, and I'll always love you, red nose or not. You're my gift from Arceus, and I wouldn't trade you for anything. I know for a fact that Dasher feels the same way. We would never throw you away just because you were born with a red nose. Nothing can ever change how we feel about you. Family sticks together through thick and thin, and we never give up on each other," She lowered her face to Ruru's and licked the tear stains off of his face. When she finished, she said, "I admit, there's a lot that we don't know about why your nose glows and when it chooses to, so we do need to at least work on that. But no matter what, you're our son, and we're proud to be your parents. Don't ever forget that."

Young Ruru was silent, taken aback by his mother's proclamations. He had always known his parents loved him, but ever since he eavesdropped on Isolde, he wondered how his parents could love him. He nearly hurt his cousin, even if it was an accident. Nobody would want to love someone who hurt their family. What did his family see in him that was worthy of being loved? His red nose put off Isolde completely, as she made it clear she didn't want anything to do with him, or she wouldn't have tried to keep her children away from him. But he could tell his mother meant every word she said, and for now, that was enough.

Ruru nuzzled into his mother's fur once more. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too, darling."

Once that was over, Marena stood back up. "Now what do you say we have dinner? Your father gathered a good supply of Hondew berries today."

Flashing a sheepish smile, Ruru stood up alongside her, definitely in the mood for a meal. He wasn't the biggest fan of Hondew berries, as he found the little bumps on the shells hard to chew, but those were definitely better than what he had to deal with today.

Of course, this was only Ruru's first taste of sorrow. This wouldn't be the first time Ruru would be shunned for his red nose.