Echo was in a sweet peaceful dream as she felt the three little ones in her belly. Their heart beats warmed her as she snuggled her nose into the pillow. She could smell Naota next to her. She was close to having the babies as they had dropped down into position to be delivered. That had been some time ago and they were told that it would be soon. She reached for Naota to make sure he was there as she often did since she got pregnant. Her body scooted over to him and she put her head on his chest now so she could hear his heartbeat.

Soon though she felt pains and she popped herself up. It was a slow pop but as fast as she could go with her big belly. She put her hands on her belly and stared down at the wet sheets. Rubbing her eyes to make sure that she was looking at it right she blinked a bit times and realized it wasn’t false like the past few nights had been. They had been on edge since her false contractions started to come and go but now. Her lips parted. “Naota…” she shook him and her voice was so soft and quiet. “Naota, my water broke.” She was so unbelievably calm about it as if the mother in her wouldn’t let her panic. If she panicked she could hurt the babies.

Her normally wild and uncontrollable amber eyes stared at him with all the care in the world. “Get Shayla or someone please.” She was beckoning him now as she started to shake just a tad. She couldn’t do this with just him. He had already been a mess when the false contractions started. Every night for a week Shayla had come to see what was going on and every night it had been false. Not tonight. It was real tonight.

It had been an eventful few days and somehow he’d found sleep.  More accurately sleep had found him in the form of passing out.  In fact, ‘eventful’ was a very kind word: stressful was more to the point.  With each false contraction his mind spun with any and everything that could go wrong with this birth.  The babies could be born in the wrong position, or her heart wouldn’t be able to take it, or a cord could get wrapped around a vulnerable neck, a life could be lost…
 
Panic would help nothing, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how his own birth mother had passed giving birth to him.  Two half demons had been too much for her human body, and now Echo-Rose -a woman whose womb had been destroyed, who would have already had complications with birth- was about to give birth to a half deity.  Three half deities.  He wasn’t even sure how that worked, Angela’s tree was ever expanding and Dalanesca had lost her own baby…None of that comforted him.
 
The slightest movement woke him now due to the anxiety, and sleepy eyes moved up to her.  She was sitting up, and already he was waking more.  His lips parted and he too sat up quickly, looking down to see the proof of what she’d said.  This was the day, there was no going back now, not that there ever could have been a way in the first place…and he would never have wanted that anyways.  But now this danger was real, it was tangible, and he felt great fear mixing with excitement.  Taking her face in his hands, he quickly and firmly kissed her forehead before teleporting from her to Shayla’s chambers.
 
He sought her out, going this way and that until he saw her and quickly spoke, “Shayla, it’s time.”  Before she could say or do anything he gently gripped her shoulder and teleported them both back to his and Echo’s bed chambers, “Her water has broken and-” He couldn’t even finish the statement before letting her go and stepping back.  The air in the room was charging from his worry and he had to center himself. 
 
Leaving Shayla to assist, he walked over to the cabinet where Torinasu was laid to rest, along with any other deeply personal and powerful combat gear.  His hands moved quickly in the air, removing all of the locks and wards that kept the cabinet secure from anyone else’s fingers.  Torinasu lay there peacefully as if waiting for him, and he gently gripped it in both hands as he started to ground himself: letting his negativity flow into the blade.

Shayla was in her bed fast asleep. Long white hair flowed around her body like a pool of water. When Naota teleported in she was barely aware enough to blink at him. The next thing she knew she was in Echo and his room. Her eyes blinked a bit more before she reached up and went to flick Naota’s nose softly. “The air.” He already knew. She let out a yawn as she straightened the soft silk nightgown around her. “Alright, let’s have a looksie.” 

Echo gently uncovered herself and held her belly tighter as if she were about to lose part of herself. “Calm down Echo. I’m only going to look you over for right now.” Taking her time with her expansive knowledge of medicine and the bodies of most creatures she nodded a bit as she laid Echo down. She examined her thoroughly before looking back up at her. 

“What?” Echo was scared as she almost bolted. Shayla put her hand on Echo’s shoulder to stop her.

“You’ve been in labor for a while now. Should be any time now and we can start to get the babies out.” She stood up and began to get a tub of hot water, blankets, and her gaze fell on Naota. “You would best be off now. Go get that Goddess. This isn’t a birth I’m fully qualified for.” He would know what she meant and it wasn’t that there were triplets. “She’s the best person for this job.” She went back to helping Echo set up the birthing area.

There was now a group of cots ready for the three newborns. Blankets for them to be warm. The water to wash them after they were born. She was only one person and she knew that she couldn’t do it by herself. Add in Echo’s complicated body and this was a disaster waiting to happen. “Quickly now,” she said back to the god if he was still there. Echo was too used to the contraction at this point to have thought anything different of it. Who knows how long her water had been broken on top of that. The only person who would know for sure was Angela.

His attention was brought back to Shayla when he heard her moving to set things up in the room.  Torinasu had helped, but he still took his belt and cinched it around his waist in order to tie off the blade there.  It hung tight against his skin since he wasn’t in full garb and still shirtless at that, but he turned his attention back to the room and with two synchronized movements of his hands everything set itself up: the cots, a basin of steaming water, fluffy folded towels; any and everything they would need.  While he needed Angela more than he could admit verbally, he wasn’t keen on leaving the temple at such a time.
 
“Two minutes.”  At that he moved from the room, hailing his two elementals.  A sleepy looking Kosen appeared in front of him immediately, still rubbing a pink and turquoise stained eye.  Kagayaki looked as if he hadn’t slept a wink and was fully clothed; even his hair was clean and combed, “Outside the door, no one comes in.”  Kosen nodded sleepily and trudged to the doorway, leaning against the wall.  Kagayaki nodded stiffly and positioned himself on the other side.  It helped to see the two there, but he still wasn’t going to leave.
 
Instead he flickered into his throne room.  The room was empty and dark due to the hour save for a single glowing crystal at the center of his altar.  He walked over, passed his throne to a great marble pool filled with water so clear it almost looked empty.  In the darkness he could catch his reflection, and he knelt down in front of it before touching it once. 
 
Ripples spread from his fingertips and he closed his eyes, willing a link to Angela and hoping she would answer the call.  The white markings glowed brighter, the water becoming exuberantly blessed, “Angela I know the hour is late, but I…”  His jaw locked and he felt guilt in the pit of his stomach for not having hailed his own mother,
 
“I need you here please.  Echo needs you.”  His eyes opened, looking down into the now glowing pool of light, “It’s time.”

Angela had been sleeping and she had her own baby to worry about. Though he was getting much bigger and smarter as time went on. He had yearned for his mother so much since she had been destroyed by Dalanesca that he hardly left her side when it was allowed. This time was no different. They were curled up in a ball together on the bed. Drae was out doing his business and probably wouldn’t be back for a little bit longer. Her mind had flash fire as Naota’s words entered her head.

The goddess who was normally well put together put the tired baby on her hip and yawned as she appeared in front of Naota. A yawn left her lips. Her red hair was so wild about her it looked more like a fiery aura. She was in her nightgown still and Rohan was barely dressed. The baby was making grumpy noises. “Did it have to be so late,” Angela complained lightly, “The kid just went down a few hours ago.” She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. “Alright take me to her.”

Once up in the room Angela greeted Shayla who was helping Echo figure out just how far along she was in the delivery. “You there… colorful one.” Angela pointed to Kosen. 

“Her name is Kosen,” Shayla spoke up. Angela nodded and held out Rohan to Kosen.

“Watch him. He’s tricky so don’t let him out of your sight. One minute he’s a baby the next he is a mouse hiding in places you can’t reach. He’s still tired though so he might fall back asleep. His name is Rohan.” Angela was hesitant to leave Rohan with someone she didn’t know but Shayla told her it was alright and soon they were pulling Naota and Kagayaki into the room.

“We’re going to need you both. Kosen is taking care of one problem but this is another.” Angela had Shayla pull up her magical imagery. Taking a look at what wasn’t making sense to anyone else Angela had a huff of air leave her lips. “This is going to be a long night. Alright Echo, we’re going to make this painless on you.” Angela’s magic filled the room. The soft green healing aura was touching everyone and everything much like a light fog.

Soon things were really starting to get along as Echo began to really deliver the first child. It took them a while and Angela was quick to scoop up the first one, a girl who had a head full of white hair. “First one, Naota take her and wash her with everything we have laid out. Soothe her,” the baby’s new lungs were filling the air. 

It took a few minutes for the next one to come and it was another girl with darker hair. “You there… Grump.” She signaled Kagayaki.

“Kagayaki.” Shayla corrected and Angela rolled her eyes as she handed that baby off. She was muttering something about not enough time to be correct with names. 

“Whatever, same as Naota.” Angela was getting stressed most likely from whatever it was that she had seen. At the moment she could only keep Echo comfortable but she couldn’t heal Echo while she was delivering  the babies. It was such long moments afterward when the last child, a boy, was born into the world. His lungs were so loud it made Angela flinch a bit as she handed him off to Shayla.

Echo was done with her screaming and was laying back in a heap of sweat. She looked like an uncomfortable mess. Angela was quick to come to her side and her hands were touching parts all over her body. “Echo-Rose,” Angela said with a concern but there was hardly a response but the now shallow breathing woman. “Echo!” Angela yelled it this time.

The healing aura disappeared and Shayla was quick to put the baby down that she was attending to. “Tell me what to do.” 

Angela looked over at Shayla and nodded. “I need you to stop the bleeding. She has internal damage now.” Echo was knocked out enough that she wasn’t afraid to speak. “Most likely from her supporting three babies with a womb that was incapable. Stop the bleeding and I’ll stop the internal damage from getting worse. From there we’ll shrink her stomach and make it more accessible to find out what all is going on. Tighter the skin the better.”

Shayla moved without panicking as she set about doing what Angela told her to. It looked like Angela was massaging Echo’s heart the way she melded her hand into Echo’s body. She was creating a rhythm with her hand. Shayla was working fast and before long she moved to clean the blood off her hands. “Done.”

Angela nodded and finally removed her hand and moved her hands to Echo’s stomach. The skin retracted from its post pregnancy form to a what Echo was before she was pregnant. She began to mess with Echo’s insides her hands were seeping through her body with ease. Before long Angela removed her hands and fell back into a chair she summoned. She threw her head back and took a giant sigh of relief.

Shayla came over to the other side of Echo and nodded. “She’s stabilized. All of her internal organs are completely healed without even a scar. Some of your most impressive work My Lady.”

Angela didn’t respond instead she took a towel and washed her hands after she was done panicking. “Could your thoughts have been any louder Naota?” She knew that the moment was serious which was why she hadn’t yelled at him for panicking. 

Echo began to lightly stir and Angela stood up by her. “Echo, can you hear me?” Echo let out a light mhmm from her lips. “Good, can you feel any sort of tingling sensation in your body?” The half-elf gently shook her head.

“I’m so tired.” Echo mustered as Angela was quick to snap her fingers and the bedding changed. 

“We’ll just clean you up then. You’ll need your rest before you attempt to feed those babies.”  Angela gently washed Echo up before helping her change into something else. The Goddess was so gentle with her almost like a child as she washed the sweat and blood away. “They are beautiful. Two girls and a boy like I told you. One looks just like you.” Echo put a soft smile on her lips. “Do you want to see them before you sleep?” Echo nodded just a bit as Angela moved to prop her up with a bunch of pillows.  “You can bring them over one at a time. Don’t overwhelm her. The healing treatment has completely exhausted her. You scared everyone Echo.” 

A chuckle left Echo’s lips. “It’s what I do best.”

“You can say that again. Always something with you.” Angela pulled the blankets up on the bed and softly placed them around Echo’s waist.

He was a man on auto pilot as Angela took control of the situation. Normally it was amusing to watch her take charge of any place she went, much like the mother she was, but this time he was relying on it. No other person in all the world could have been more equipped, but even with Angela here, even with that slight comfort, he was more terrified than he’d ever been in his life. So much so that he half expected to hear Minasé in his head to mock him and finding it more unsettling to remember that he couldn’t.

Rohan was handed off to Kōsen and he nodded to her. She nodded back and immediately made a face at the babe: tongue sticking out and eyes crossing. Yes, Kōsen would be fine with children. Kagayaki however looked completely shocked when he was hailed into the room and only needed a small nudge from Naota to get him in the rest of the way. As the labor started in full force, he found his heart pounding at an unhealthy strength and rhythm in his chest: as if trying to break free from his ribcage.

His mind was a flurry of thoughts, none of them pleasant, and all of them loud, screaming. Even so, his body was still as a statue, his expression unsettlingly calm as he watched on. Even when blood began to pour between his wife’s legs he only took a half step towards her. For once, Torinasu was feeding completely off of him. It was almost drug like, having the lulling affect while he still tried to spike in anxiety.

And then he heard an outcry…it completely shattered his world. Every fiber of himself thrummed in unison, all finding the same frequency to lead him to that new voice. His daughter, his first born…making herself known to Revaliir and him. His eyes slowly shifted to deep amethyst and he hesitated as this impossibly fragile being was brought to him. Even covered in blood and fluids she was incomparably beautiful, and his eyes immediately welled with tears.

In all his life after learning about the curse on him that had bound Minasé and himself together, he never thought this moment would come to pass. A child had always been denied, and now The Mother herself was handing her off to him. Blood smeared his arms and he kept her safely cradled to his chest as he looked down at her. This new small person was the product of himself an Echo, a newcomer to the world that could never be duplicated or fabricated: a breathing miracle.

Had the situation not been as dire he would have dropped to his knees and wept, but instead he quickly but with as much care as possible, walked to the warm basin. He laid her down on the prepared towel, taking a soft towel and gently cleaning her porcelain skin. A glow resonated around him and spread into her, gently easing and calming her. Her chest continued to rise and fall healthily but the cries calmed. The two stared at one another as he continued to clean, and he found himself falling in love all over again…

Once she was completely spotless from snowy head to pink toes, he safely swaddled her in fresh warmed cloth. Still they stared at one another, even as he scooped her back up to keep her held to his chest. Finally he trusted himself, and leaned down to touch his lips to her forehead: as feather light as if she had been made of glass. His light beamed off of her and the two stayed there in a golden halo until Angela got his attention once again.

When he looked up he realized that the other two had been born and he gazed on in awe once more, never before knowing this unending well of love and want. He wanted to hold all of them, protect them, shield them from the ugliness in this world that he fought against each and every day. They were a new inspiration to bring protection to Revaliir: this land needed to be good enough for them, safe enough for them.

His attention drew to Echo, so relieved to see her out of pain, though weak from her previous labor. The hours felt like minutes to him and he knew he’d never have enough time with any of his children…Keeping their first born close, he walked towards the bed and sat just at the edge; kissing Echo’s temple just as gently, “Meet your first daughter…”

Echo-Rose had felt pain worse than that of giving birth to her children. It was what made her be able to get through the birthing process with such calm, well for as calm as someone in her position could be in. After all, she had three little ones coming from her. Those wild amber eyes moved quickly to Naota as Angela began to work. She could feel the panic building but there was a hidden line of excitement that she could feel welling underneath all of the panic. This hurt but not on a level she hadn’t even experienced before. Maybe in that moment, she could thank her mother for being so cruel to her, for preparing for the pain of bringing her children into this world. If only Echo knew the truth of the situation happening around and in her.

She heard the first screaming cry and she breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t for long as the next began… and the one after that. Finally, she was able to rest but she felt the darkness taking hold of her. There was a lulling song that filled her ears, it wasn’t able to be heard by those around her. She figured it was death singing, the only way she knew was the heavy haze around her. The way darkness crept in when there was no way it should have been able to in this place. Her mind was fogging over and she felt the almost too sweet release from the pain of childbirth.

It was not to be though. Not with both the Mother and her husband there to stop death from taking her. She felt the living air fill her lungs once more as she was finally filled with a tiredness she had never known before. Her eyes drifted over to Angela, she had truly not known what the goddess had done but soon Naota was over by her. His lips were so soft and warm against her head. She smiled at him and looked down at the little one. “She has my hair…” She breathed almost in an excited but exhausted way as she went to move.

She was too weak, however, and settled for looking from where she was. Her eyes darted over to where her other children were and she smiled a bit before laying her sweaty white head back down and closed her eyes. “What do the other ones look like?” She didn’t need to know if they were healthy… They were. Her words were so exhausted and Angela peeked over before she smiled.

“She should get some rest… Soon she will have hungry babes to feed and that will exhaust her again… I’m sure everyone but Naota is tired.” She chuckled a bit. “Maybe his helpers.” She motioned to Kosen and her friend. “Shayla you look exhausted why not head out for sleep.” Shayla handed the babe to Angela who cradled the little one in her arms. “You did a good job Echo… They are beautiful… Please don’t scare us like that again.” Angela felt like she was repeating herself.

“I thought it was my job to scare people.” She chuckled once more as she too repeated herself.

He laughed, but the sound was as soft as falling rose petals before kissing her temple once more, “Poetry is not my strong suit, and I feel that’s the only way to describe how they look…Even then it wouldn’t do them justice.” His eyes lifted to Kagayaki and he nodded towards the bed, beckoning him over. The light elemental made his way across the floor, nearly gliding from how careful and precise his steps were while holding one of his master’s newborn children. In his arms was their son, the only boy out of the three, and as stiff as Kagayaki’s face was, you’d never know it from his arms.

When Angela spoke, he tore his eyes away from his first and only son and gave her his full attention. Ah yes, breast feeding, she still had so much to do yet. While he had never had children, two of his brothers had wives and he wasn’t new to the long nights of feeding. And that was usually with only one babe, they were lucky enough to have three. His mind was already working, trying to come up with some new spell work to help his wife through these tiring times. Knowing Angela though, she already had plenty in her arsenal for aiding in that. “And yes,” He kissed lower, at the rosy apple of her cheek, “she does have your hair.”

It had been a long night, but there were still so many things he wanted to ask The Mother. Was it always going to be like this should Echo become pregnant again? Was it even possible for her to? Despite the more peaceful moment, the sheets were still stained crimson. They’d be changed and freshened before his lady even fell asleep, but one could not stay sidetracked in bliss. All of that could wait for another night. For now, he leaned towards her and gently began to move their first born into his wife’s arms, and then reached for his son. The people in this room were the only ones he’d feel safe letting his children be held by for quite some time, and he knew their other daughter was happy in The Mother’s hold.

“You really did so well my love…Fantastically…” his eyes halved in faux sternness, “Stop scaring us though, if anyone could find a way to give an immortal a heart attack it would be you.” Of course his heart was ticking along just a healthily as ever. Torinasu was filled to the brim with negativity, and he’d need to release that positive burst before turning in for the night. Natsumi was a gifted forger, but he didn’t want to test the blade’s limits.

“Angela,” He lifted his eyes to her, and then down to he and Echo’s second daughter that she was holding, and then back up to the goddess, “I know it’s late…” he was so hesitant, and he felt guilty before even speaking the words, “But for tonight, would it be all right if I called on you…? In case something happened, I mean…” The Mother’s time was her own, for that alone he was guilty, but even worse than that was the nagging feeling in the back of his head that he hadn’t even thought to ask his own for help in this.

Echo looked at each of the children with an exhausted smile on her face. “It wouldn’t do them justice… They are so beautiful…” She had almost the ability to speak since she was so exhausted.

The lady of the house nodded and smiled up at Angela when she brought up feeding. “I’m so glad at least one of them does.” She took a large breath as Angela brought over another little one and put the child down in the crib next to the bed.

“Like I said, it’s my job to make everyone worry about me Naota.” She chuckled a bit more at her husband before pulled him down gently enough to kiss him. Angela gave a gentle smile as she watched them both.

“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of being so far away from you all. Just say my name and I’ll be back here as long as someone can watch Rohan for me. Drae is awfully busy to watch him right now.” There was more laughing for a moment before Angela took another looked at Echo. “Make sure she gets at least an hour or two of sleep before attempting to feed those babies.” Angela was giving a good scolding to the new father deity but still, she kissed his forehead. “Call me if you need me.”

Angela bid them good night after getting Rohan back and left the new parents to their first night with the triplets.