Seahorses were unique creatures among fish for many reasons. There movement in the ocean was different from other fish and that wasn't the most interesting part of what made seahorses unique. That came from the fact that for the most part it was actually the male that carried a mated pair's eggs and then "gave birth" to the new seahorses. Among mundane seahorses this was done through a specialized pouch in which the female moved the unfertilized eggs into as part of the courting process. For Seahorse Animalians, the process was a bit different, and largely due to the complicated changes that the Animalia Virus created in every Animalian, and at times particularly with fish that didn't normally breed the way other vertebrates did.
And Triton and Thoosa were well aware of all that as they rested with their little ones in one of the smaller pools at Mieni's main hotel. The baby Seahorse Animalians sat and floated between their parents as they thought over all recent events and the past nine months. It had its trials and tribulations as well as other influences that dwelled on both of their minds.
"Some of this still doesn't sit right with me..." Triton said slowly as he ran one finger along the cheek of of his and Thoosa's children.
"That one would make mistakes on how seahorses mate and raise young?" Thoosa asked.
"Not that... but the way they're wanting to correct her," Triton said slowly, "it almost seems like they're trying to call her stupid and dumb... and while, yes, the girl made mistakes... but the way they're just outing her... and the the SCHOOL is doing this policy... that's normally something that would get a teacher fired and send the child into isolation. The child won't try to learn because all they get is mockery. I mean... we've helped with some educational programs that Animalia has helped run with ocean life in Lyre/Animalia and there have been plenty of people who don't know that male seahorses carry the eggs and give birth... but there was never any mocking..."
"And you feel guilty that we were involved in that sort of thing?" Thoosa surmised, to which Triton nodded. Once he did she continued, "Well... I can't say for certain as to why they adopted that strategy... but my best guess is that she isn't in the main school in Animalia and they're trying to cope with the fact that she has all the physical drives of an adult and the mental faculties of a child because of a lobotomy..."
"That isn't an excuse," Triton pointed out, and then sighed, "the only justification I they they have at the moment is that everything from this year... from Covid to politics has just put an intense amount of strain that goes beyond the norm. Other wise... I will have to get a petition to the parents in Lyre and Animalia and have the WSA staff administration removed and new... and less old fashioned administrators hired. Because I do NOT want our children going to a school where they may be publicly humiliated if they make a mistake..."
"Such a protective father," Thoosa smiled.
"Well I did carry them," Triton smiled back, "I will always protect my babies."
The two smiled as their thoughts drifted back over the past nine months...
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"Pregnant!?" Thoosa said with surprise as she and Triton sat one of the medical rooms at Horizon Light in April.
The start of the pandemic had panicked many people, and to a degree even Animalia was worried, largely due to how much was unknown about Covid 19 at that point in the year. It had lead to many staying home more and not going out as much and it looked like much of their normal day to day work was going to be limited. This in turn lead to more fun at home for the mated pair, and like many other fish Animalians, their uplifting had resulted in both gaining features that were more to allow them for some means of sexual relations that Humans normally had. It was a function that gave Triton new experiences in using his claspers to thrust into Thoosa's vagina, and that part HAD been fun. And it wasn't quite like what Triton remembered from when he and Thoosa were mundane seahorses, thus when Thoosa began feeling sick in the mornings and needing to pee more often, the two had come into Horizon Light with some worry that Thoosa had somehow caught Covid.
"That is what the hormone tests would indicate... and something I suspected when you described Thoosa's symptoms," their personal doctor answered the two Seahorse Animalians.
"But that isn't normally how seahorses reproduce," Thoosa commented, "normally I would deposit my eggs into Triton's brood pouch..."
"Which I still have," Triton added.
"And the eggs would be fertilized there," Thoosa finished.
The doctor nodded, "Yes, but keep in mind that the Animalia Virus leads to a great deal of changes in how an animal would function from where they were before they were uplifted. For example, Thoosa, you have breasts and fully functional mammary glands, things that fish normally would not have and this would mean that there would be some changes to how both of you would reproduce now as Animalians."
The two looked to each other and then nodded. Triton gave a small smile and reached over to take Thoosa's hand and gave it a small squeeze. He still loved her and always would. Things were different, but that didn't change the love between them.
"So what should we do?" Thoosa asked.
"Well... I'm a general practice physician and wouldn't normally handle pregnancies," the doctor said slowly, "but given that Triton does still have his pouch... I can guess that you won't carry the eggs to the point where they'd hatch in the way some snakes and sharks that would give birth to live young would. Thus at some point that transfer from you to Triton will occur. And given everything with Covid... I'd suggest you go to Mieni. Their numbers are far lower and they may be better equipped than we are to handle such "underwater" births and transfers... as it were."
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The pair then followed out their doctor's instructions and Mieni was happy to welcome Triton and Thoosa to the atoll. They were given a room in the main hotel area and booked appointments at their main medical center, which was attached to the Horizon Labs on the main island of the atoll. From there things with Thoosa's pregnancy progressed and over the course of a month, her belly began to push forward slightly, but it wasn't by much. Toward the end of that month, the pair were admitted to one of the specialized tanks in the Mieni medical area for any and all underwater births. It was big enough for both to be submerged in both took advantage of it, as Thoosa and and Triton could both feel many of the instinctual drives that were part of seahorse reproduction that were normal.
"Your not in any pain?" a Horizon doctor, and the one that had treated Gaz for her pregnancy.
Harold was also present, mostly as part of Horizon's general research on Animalian biology and abilities that were all new and part of research. This sort of process that was unique to seahorses was a first in Animalia, possibly with Triton and Thoosa being Animalia's first Seahorse Animalians. The male Sea Krait Animalian kept his distance and didn't enter the water, if only to give Triton and Thoosa the assurance that they weren't in danger.
"No," Thoosa spoke with some discomfort evident in her voice as she floated at the surface of the tank wearing only a bikini top, "it's just... well... it's like how I was before I was uplifted and needed to transfer my eggs to Triton's pouch. I really can't describe it any different than that at the moment."
"I'm just trying to make sure you're not having anything that might require more effort on our part," the Horizon doctor spoke.
"And I thank you for that," Thoosa answered, "but things are fine."
With that, Thoosa submerged under the water and swam to where Triton was waiting for her. His tail was coiled around an anchor at the bottom and she could see the fold of skin that formed the opening to his pouch at about the same point as where a Human's belly button would be opening slightly to be ready for her to deposit her eggs in them. It pushed on more of Thoosa's instinctual urges even further and got the lips of her vagina to extend out slightly between her legs and gained a bit of stiffness to it. In many ways it felt like it had felt before her uplifting when she and Triton had had children, just in a different manner, and that familiarity drove her forward. She reached Triton and kissed the tip of his nose as she wrapped her legs around him and brought her vagina toward the opening to Triton's pouch. She then coiled her tail around Triton's to anchor them together.
"Are you ready?" Thoosa asked to Triton as she felt the outer lips of her vagina slide into the opening of Triton's pouch. There was a little bit of tingling as her vaginal lips stiffened and then expanded to pull the skin fold that marked the opening to his pouch
"Yes," Triton nodded, ready for what was a normal part of seahorse reproduction and would now feel it in a way that was part of being an Animalian. Some of the muscles around his pouch naturally constricted to grip her vaginal walls, which stiffened against the opening of his pouch.
From there, Triton watched Thoosa then gave a heavy moan as she began to push. Soon after, Triton could feel the first of a few soft eggs land gently inside his pouch. It strangely tickled in an odd way, and it was soon joined by four more. Once the fifth egg was inside Triton's pouch, he watched Thoosa relax.
"Is that all?" Triton asked as Thoosa's vaginal lips lost their firmness and was then pulled back into the slit between her legs, letting his pouch close tightly.
"Yes, dear," Thoosa answered, "all that I felt within me..."
The two hugged and Triton said to her, "then I will carry them with care..."
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The next few months confirmed that as the eggs grew and expanded in Triton's pouch, their "shell" being almost as elastic as Triton's skin was. This was needed as they went about their lives on Mieni. There were periodic checkups with the medical team and with Harold on what he could then provide Horizon with regard to how things were going, and with each month, the five eggs grew larger and swelled Triton out. It was different and some of the Human Horizon staff members had some surprise, likely that they'd never seen a male swell larger and rounder with young before. They were however quite polite.
Many of the rest were friendly too, though a lot of this also came from the fact that much of Mieni's summer tourist trade was drastically cut, if not eliminated entirely due to the pandemic. Some were curious and eager to say congratulations as Susan did. Kirana offered some time for Triton and Thoosa to talk on parenting which was accepted and got more curious questions from Kirana and Harold's children. For the most part it made a fairly comfortable period, though as October neared and Triton had clearly looked pregnant with how much his pouch had swollen, it also came with some anxiety.
"I never remember feeling this way before," Triton said to Thoosa as he looked in the bathroom mirror and the image of his pregnant form in the reflection, "I mean... yes, I remember that we've done this before... though I think most of our past children were transferred to other aquariums for Animalia... but I never remember feeling so anxious... wanting them out... it's..."
"Different from before," Thoosa commented, "we're Animalians now and more on par with Humans than we ever were before we were uplifted."
"And I worry we won't be good parents," Triton said slowly, "all of this came by surprise... we haven't been able to talk much with all the Animalian mothers and fathers..."
"They really wouldn't have much to help with us," Thoosa reminded him, "after ally, you're carrying the eggs."
Triton nodded, and felt an odd movement in his pouch, like something tickled and he felt a muscle tinge in his pouch.
"And when the eggs hatch... we'll be good parents," Thoosa added, not noticing Triton's hand coming over his swollen stomach.
"I hope so..." Triton said slowly as he felt his muscles tightening around the pouch, "because I think it's starting."
"It's starting?!!" Thoosa shrieked.
"Must be talking about it," Triton managed.
"Oh, my gosh," Thoosa said quickly and moved out to toss Triton a pair of shorts, "we've got to get you to the medical area!"
Triton agreed and managed to get the shorts on, though as he moved to pull them up he heard the door shut. He looked up to see that Thoosa had in a panic left the room and he moved to waddle after her. He just reached the door when it opened again as Thoosa came back in, scooped him up in her arms and then carried him out, leaving their hotel door room open...
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Triton had to chuckle a bit at the night he went into labor, but he was glad for Thoosa's attention and help. It was something that had marked their journey to Animalian parenthood different from some of the others. But as looked to the five infant Seahorse Animalians that sat between him and Thoosa as they cuddled to each other and both their parents, Triton wouldn't trade it for anything in the world...