Darkness.

Abyss.

And then, suddenly, blinding, golden light. It was magnificent, the way it glowed, pulsed with a life far brighter than my own. It illuminated me, enhanced me, improved me far beyond what I could ever go alone.

It was not mine, and yet, without it, I would not be me.

Akaith stood physically by my head, her scaly skull pressed against my brow, her eyes shut tight just as mine were. The closeness was not needed, not necessarily, but it was a comfort to know that the keeper of my soul was so nearby, physically and ethereally.

She had plunged herself into me when the pain had swallowed me, when the blood had pooled too deep about my hocks, when I had but glanced at my daughters before falling down into the loamy earth. In an instant, she had removed me from my damaged body, encased me in her own, plucked me free from the frail, torn, broken body that had until recently, carried three heartbeats within it. I felt the love, the devotion, the complete dedication with which she conducted herself as it all occurred, myself all too far gone to fight it, to stop it.

Your eggs were too soft, she murmurs to me ,gently, soothingly. They are royal daughters, she adds, and I feel myself warm to the thought, I feel the pride churn within her breast and thus within my own.

I am not completely separated from my body, however well my beloved tries, I still feel the pain, the damage wrought. I feel the presence of others as they arrive, the caress of my beloved sister as she presses her own soul magic against me, the healing strokes of Torasin knitting the frayed parts of me together again. I feel the surge of energy encase my very heart, a heart that thrummed suddenly stronger, suddenly readying my body for action once more.

It was somewhat unceremonious, the way I returned to my own body, my own consciousness. Akaith was still there, of course, but like a mother delivering a child, she rebirthed me back into my body, and I took a deep, shaky breath in like it was the first I had ever taken.

---

And so it was, the DragonHeart was reborn, just as she delivered new life into this world. Bewilderment snapped her eyes open, and they stared straight into the golden depths of her own bonded, who held a knowing twinkle behind devious orbs that swirled a deep range of blues and indigoes of passion, of devotion, of love. Deep breaths were grabbed at, greedily she drank the oxygen as if she had never gained enough in all the years she had existed. Suddenly, all the words spoken to her while she was absent from her own body came ringing in her ears, and she forced her eyes to focus past Akaith, tilting her crown to view her sister and her avian bonded, turning again to see the golden steed with his little brown near Akaith - who happily groomed him with affection - up to Thor, who complimented her as he always did, then to Vikram, who stood as her protector always.

Daughters, she thought, before her gaze was drawn to the moving masses of scales and fur, folding her forelegs beneath her so that she was somewhat upright in her prone position, still breathing as if she had just exercised - she supposed she had - craning her neck to better see what it was she had delivered. Tears wet her eyes as she glanced once again at her sister, then back to the bundles who each tried to stand, the silver rising first. Akaith bounded across the earth towards her, wings clamped down upon her sides so that she moved like a reptilian feline, playfully dancing before the babes.

"I'm here." The voice that spoke was sweet and melodic, thick with emotion and curled with her warm accent. The little mare stretched her nose out to touch upon the delicate skin that was outlined by shimmering scales, wonderment glowing behind her golden eyes at the marvel of such a beautiful creature. Not long after the first, came the golden tinged one, who stood on wobbly legs and with Akaith's encouragement, wandered haphazardly between the limbs of random adults to eventually stand beside her sister. Mirage's muzzle ran along the cheekbone of each, outlining their matching, if opposing markings that proclaimed them dragonsisters.

"My beautiful girls," she whispered to them, as she smiled with sheer delight and happiness. Your turn to rise, came the comforting, if somewhat insistent voice of Akaith as she bounded alongside the foals to be alongside her bonded, gleeful in her motion. With another grunt the mare gathered herself, rising as gracefully as a horse can rise, testing her limbs before trusting herself fully. As she trusted that she was not about to topple over again, she reached out to all those near to her, in silent gratitude and thanks, blowing a gentle kiss upon Torasin's brow, embracing her sister in a firm hug, bumping her muzzle against Thor's own titanic one, and wandering into the warm contours of Vikram's body. It was there that the twins had wandered since, gravitating towards the figure so similar to their own, so domineering and tall, so strong and magnificent and great that he surely had to be their father.

Feeding time was simple enough, as the girls found their preferred side and gently nuzzled at the swollen teats, which willingly gave way to streams of nourishing milky liquid. "Semira, of silver, and Amaris, of gold." She said simply, quietly, knowing their names much the same way she had known Akaith's name was hers and hers alone.

I never thought I could be a mother, Akaith.

But you have always been a mother. You are mother to the Qian, and now, you are mother to the dragonsisters. The little dragon assured her with as much certainty as if she were telling her beloved that the sky was blue - there simply was no two ways about it.

Mirage was a mother, at last.

[ This thread is now open for anyone in the Edge to join C: ]