{birthing} Something inexplicable

[Eupe]

She stepped over a small hill and looked down at the churning river in the distance. The Jungle River was anything but crystalline, but it was a frigid cold that her tongue enjoyed. After a light trot over to the river, she dipped her head down and lapped up some of the swirling, green-tinted water. As she lifted her head, she felt movement in her stomach followed by a sharp pain. This wasn't new to her. She had felt sharp pains anytime one of the cubs inside her moved, this one was no different. Or so she thought.

The sun was setting and today had been an exhausting day. That morning she had walked to the Gathering with a few select members of her pride, including her mate and king Meeko. She had only returned minutes ago. After dealing with the ordeals of the Gathering, she was beyond exhausted. She picked a shaded spot underneath one of the jungle trees and curled into a tight ball. She shivered as the wind carried a chilly breeze.

Where was Meeko?

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"

[Meeko]

Meeko came down from the gathering, having followed a different path. He caught the scent of Eupe and changed paths. But he was walking slowly. Nothing seemed wrong, except for the fact that his parents were dead.. He had to tell her, and he was not looking forward to it. He knew he had to, had to explain everything... Today he'd do it..

"Eupe, they wanted me to.. I had to.. I didn't want to.. I changed my ways.. I fell in love.." His mutterings stopped as he realized that he was within ear shot of Eupe. He sped up and walked up to her, head bowed low as he sat down. He prepared himself...

Looking at her, his eyes sad, he began, "Eupe, I have to tell you something. My parents raised me to.. to..." He trailed off, "To kill the entire pride." He breathed in air quickly and carried on rapidly, "I never, NEVER wanted to! Not after I met you... I fell in love, I loved our cubs, our first ones, the ones we are having.. They threatened to kill me and my family, and do it themselves if I didn't go through with it.. But now.. my parents are dead.. They can't hurt us anymore.."

He breathed in air, tears were in his eyes. "Do you.. still love me..?" He asked.. His thoughts were swirling with questions, when he realized that she was in pain. Physical pain... "Are you.. okay?" He asked and reached to nuzzle her lovingly. "I love you.." By now he was crying, though discreetly, holding back tears and trying to still appear manly. "I always have."

[Eupe]

"Eupe, my parents raised me to... to kill the entire pride." Her face was without emotion, feeling, or understanding. The fact that the one she loved was raised as an assassin for her and her relatives blew her mind. She was speechless.

"I never, never wanted to... not after I met you." "After you met me. So when we first met, you had every intention of killing me?" Her emotions returned, bringing anger and resentment with it. "When we had our first cubs, had you every intention of killing them as well? You betray my trust, Meeko." Tears shone in his eyes, but Eupe had no pity for him now. "Do you... still love me?"

She knew very well that Meeko's love was real now, but she doubted his love when she had sworn it was there before. She wasn't sure anymore, on many levels. "Meeko... I do. I understand that things happen that you can't control." She looked up at his shimmering eyes with hers. "Just know that others may not be so understanding."

Something lurched in her stomach, and she felt a more sharp and distinct pain. She flinched and her legs stiffened. A liquid leaked out from under her tail. The muscles in her stomach visibly tightened and relaxed several times. Each time she felt a wave of pain, now much more intense. She moaned and laid her head on the ground. Her eyes closed, trying to block out the pain. She couldn't manage words with so much pain.

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"

[Meeko]

"After you met me. So when we first met, you had every intention of killing me?" He stared at her as she spoke, his jaw dropping. "No! I loved you from the moment I met you.. I've always, always loved you.. I'm not a killer.. I could never.."

Then she said something that made his heart stop.. "When we had our first cubs, had you every intention of killing them as well? You betray my trust, Meeko." He felt pain, real pain.. His mind boggled as he became short of breathe...

"What?" he said, utterly shocked. His legs started to shake, not from fear or nervousness, but from something else..

His vision blurred with blackness, he felt a sudden pain and weakness.. His shoulder hurt, he did not know why... His eyes became glazed as he collapsed... Just as she became ridden with pain and unable to speak..

And with that, all went black.

OOC: He's not dead.

[Eupe]

Through the haze of pain that engulfed her, she heard Meeko fall to the ground. She managed to look up between the waves of pain, sweat covering her silky, white coat. She muttered weakly, "Meeko?" She cried out again as pain stiffened her muscles.

Her breath game in great, labored bursts. Her eyes closed again as she groaned. None of her other births were like this. None. Most unique was the fact that her mate had passed out. "Meeko," She muttered weakly. "Meeko, stay with me."

She cried out in a high voice as a lump of wet fur slithered out from under her tail onto the ground. The pain halted, graciously. She lifted her head and looked down at the pile of fur, colored a gray like her forehead. She licked his fur the wrong way, licking away the warm liquid and warming up the tiny cub until he began to mew. She set him down in the curve of her stomach to let him suckle. She looked over at Meeko and keened to him.

"Please, Meeko. I can't do this alone!"

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"

[Meeko]

Distantly, he thought he heard his name.. The blackness engulfed him, soon colors swirled... <Am I dead> He thought. <Well I wouldn't be having thoughts if I was dead. Wouldn't something else be happening? Other then just blackness?> He started to feel pain again. <Nope, definately not dead.> He thought he heard a voice, distant and far off.. Although he could not see anything, he tried to move. He found himself weak. The pain faded momentarily... His vision started to clear just a little. He made his way to Eupe's side, collapsing beside her. His vision went black again, he shivered. He could hear her voice.. as if far off... "Meeko.. stay with me..." It sounded like someone was echoing it far away. Blinking hard, at least he thought he blinked for he couldn't tell due to the total blackness, he regained vision again. The pain came dull now, lessening... His heart beat fast as he breathed in air quickly, as if he had just been deprived air for a long while. He looked at Eupe.. laying his head next to hers..

"You're... worried.. about.. me... Shouldn't.. this be.. the other way.. around..?" He said breathelessly. Catching his breathe, he managed a smile. "The cubs!" He looked at her, his eyes still fogged over from the ordeal. He caught his breathe.. "Well.. at least the physical pain is over..." He mentally added <Now I got a new kind of pain. Mental.> However he took deep, deep breathes. He realized she was weak and licked her muzzle. "I'm here.. I'm here...."

[Eupe]

"Shouldn't... this be... the other way... around?" She began to laugh, but broke off mid-laugh as the pain continued. She groaned as her legs stiffened again, the muscles contracted, and the pains increased. The gray cub drank deeply from the milk inside of her in the curve of her stomach.

"Well at least the physical pain is over." Ha, not yet. She could only think it. He licked her muzzle as he noticed her extreme weakness. "I'm here... I'm here." All she could do was to try and communicate mentally. I love you. Something inside her stomach lurched again. Oh I hope this would end! She groaned in pain as another wave of pain hit her. Her breathing was labored and her chest heaved. Her stomach convulsed and she roared with the intense pain. All she wanted was to her see her cubs and abandon this pain.

Finally, after one powerful convulsion, the second cub slithered onto the ground. Her muscles relaxed, but tremors ran up her body. "That... was... horrible...." She lifted her head, feeling the sweat that coated her body chill her. She gently picked up the second cub and put him next to the gray cub in the curve of her belly. She licked the brown male in the opposite direction of his fur, warming him up and removing the sac from his fur. The two cubs were happily suckling.

"Finally." This was all she could say.

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"

[Meeko]

He focused on her, on her pain and what she was going through. "It's alright, it's alright..." He looked at her, she seemed to be wanting to say something, but her eyes said it all.. So he put his paw on her heart, and said softly, though loud enough for her to hear. "I know.. I love you too. You can do this."

Then the final cub was out, and he looked at the first, drinking from Eupe. He admired them, looking each over lovingly... His eyes went to the cubs.. "They're perfect..." He said, licking them gently. "What should we name them?"

[Eupe]

She looked down at the cubs drinking milk near her stomach and licked the both of their foreheads. They replied with tiny, pitiful, high-pitched mews. This made her laugh.

The gray one, the firstborn, kneaded at her stomach for more milk. She touched him gently with her nose and said, "Shaman." She then looked over at the brown cub, then to Meeko, giving him full permission to name the second.

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"

[Meeko]

He looked at the little cub, right before him, as he got named "Shaman." He smiled. "Alright..." And he looked at the other little cub, as Eupe looked to the brown cub and then to him. She wanted him to name the little one. "Jaden." He said softly. "Jaden.. Shaman and Jaden. Two brothers." He looked at the little cub, he looked like a Jaden. He smiled, his eyes closing for a moment. This was perfect. He opened them again, then said softly, "Are you hungry? Do you need food?"

[Eupe]

"Are you hungry? Do you need food?"

She nodded, noticing how hungry she was after such an intense experience. The river was not ten steps away, so water shouldn't be an issue. Her mind laughed, noting how hungry Shaman and Jaden were. To her, with Meeko, Shaman, and Jaden here, everything was as it should be. Together. Forever. One.

Legend:
Thoughts
"My words"
"Others' words"