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--Felde-mai.-- Sparks flared against her closed lids; her bi-colored eyes fluttered open, her blurred vision settling on the electric form of her zephyr. It was his voice in her mind that pulled her from the darkness threatening to consume her, his worry for her that gave her the strength to smile weakly. He settled on her heaving haunches, glancing between the mare and the filly with a sharp looks of concern. The pegasus became dimly aware of a form emerging from the trees, a golden wing settling over she and, she assumed, the filly. "Come on, baby," she heard him say desperately, and she gasped, her heart cracking in her chest. Not again, not again, the world could not be so cruel as to deliver her a babe dead before it could breathe its first, not after the death of her first -- "K-Kaj --" she choked, panic rising in her breast, the adrenaline from the moment pushing her to move, to roll onto her stomach, to peer desperately over her shoulder at the still, lifeless form behind her. Tears streaked her face, freezing before they could fall - their baby was alive, though motionless, and Kaj was praising her, his love overflowing and drawing a smile from the mare. "She's so beautiful," the mare agreed, adoration in her voice. Oh, how she had longed for a childbirth like this, where the father would drop to his knees, voice his awe, whisper loving encouragement to the babe -- if only... The mare banished the thought, then tried to rise; finding herself unable, she swallowed hard. "Kaj, I -- I can't --" she fumbled, afraid and ashamed all at once, for she should be able to stand by now, to clean and nurse her daughter. "I need to get up, I have to, to clean her, I have to --" She looked at him desperately, then tried again to stand. She managed to get her front hooves under her, but they were shaky and numb from the cold. After a moment, she staggered to her feet, carefully stumbling away from their daughter in the snow. She was panting heavily, sweat shining on her shivering hide. It was cold, so cold. The baby would be cold, too. The mare placed one foot at a time, making her way deliberately over to the babe. Indicating that Kaj should move his wing, she began to lick the child, stirring circulation and warming her at the same time as cleaning her. As she did, the girl began to stir. A mark of lighting along her neck sparked to life, flickering angrily; her mother hesitated, unsure whether the lightning would hurt her or not. "Talk talk talk." |
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@ Kaj
