it takes courage to grow up and
become who you really are

Scratched. Torn by claws. The black jaguar cub roared as loud as she could when the drakes attacked her. They managed to scratch her face, leaving thin wounds around her eyes and on the bridge of her nose.
She roared in pain, crying out to her mother who laid next to her. I was well aware of my cub, my companion, but I was going through extreme pains as well. I let out a loud call when the drakes tried to grab my cub, but sighed in relief when they stopped and flew away out of our sight again.
Finally.
The danger was gone.
Dezba meowed and complained, crying by my head. I tried to hush her, soothe her mind with calm words.
"Shhhh... It's okay, Dezba, you will be fine. It will heal soon." I carefully licked her wounds and she meowed at me, still complaining. But she understood that I was trying to help. I cleaned the thin wounds on her face before I winced in pain myself.
The foal was trying to come out.
Suddenly I felt something touch my cheek and I almost stopped to breathe before I saw that it was my lover. I sighed once again in relief and tried to do as he said.
Push.

It was harder than he must've thought. This foal was bigger than Destry, but eventually I felt something more come out. Dezba stopped complaining and took a few steps up, to rest her jaw on my horn.
Mists surrounded us mysteriously and cooled my sweaty bodice as I continued to push. This foal was big. And I meant it.
Suddenly I heard hooves beating the ground and I tensed up, only to notice that it was the dark mare who had helped us.
"Do not worry yourself further, Leto. You are safe from the drakes that hunt you." Leto? Who was Leto? As she continued to call me so, I guessed that she thought it was my name.
She could think so a while longer.
"Breathe deep, Leto. Push the child from your womb. Breathe deep, again. Repeat. Focus on nothing else." I did as she said, and soon I felt something slip out of me. The foal! It was out! Ignoring my complaining body, I moved so that I lied down with my head up high and I looked at my hind.
Oh my.

First of all, it was a colt. The lamp trees helped me see my child better, and I moved my head a little closer. The colt, my rump and legs and tail as well as the ground was covered in blood and my private parts hurt like hell, but I didn't care. My foal was out.
His body was covered in a golden hue with almost black legs, almost like a buckskin except for the fact that his muzzle was as golden as his tiny body. The colt's hair was as dark as his legs, but tipped in dark red as if it was dried blood.
He moved - thank my Gods - and raised his head, only to look straight into my eyes and snort out the goo in his nostrils.
Oh...

I observed his dual colored eyes, curious how the genes worked within this baby of mine. His right eye was purely blue - like my eyes - but with no visible pupil. And his left eye was ruby red like Azzaron's and had a normally-shaped black pupil like most. Upon his forehead was a little bump that immediately told me that this was a unicorn colt.
But the most outstanding thing about my baby was the markings upon his golden body. He bore white flames on his left shoulder and what seemed like his right thigh as well. I sighed happily, and gazed upon my colt. He was muscular - even though he was just a newborn - and had a buff strong body with long legs.
He looked just like a Friesian, except for his legs maybe that were too long and too thin for one of my breed. They seemed strong, but they were still too slim.

"Welcome to our world, Azarel." I whispered, just loud enough for the ones surrounding me to hear. Azarel tilted his head and looked at me, both of his ears curiously pointed forwards. The golden colt with white markings stood up on unsteady legs, and soon fell over before even taking a step.
He didn't let that stop him though, because he tried several times and on his fourth try, he succeded.
Azarel walked to my - still - big belly and nudged me carefully. I nudged his little beautiful head and he nudged back, snorting playfully.
I smiled at my newborn and directed him to my mammary glands, still laying down, and Azarel started to drink. A sigh left my lips and I laid down on my side again, allowing my foal to access the milk better.
Dezba purred next to me, licking my nosebridge warmly. I looked up on Azzaron, smiling widely.
"I named him after you," I said, smiling as I closed my eyes to rest.
I sure needed it after this.

"Talking."

ooc: Damn... Well, Azarel is born! :D @[Azzaron] @[Circuta]
word count: 863