"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
your waves are pulling me under i'm caught in your riptide
Where had the time gone? She thinks.
The purple nereid reminisced the last several passing days. She finally had found some time for herself. The Island was finally beginning to settle down after many months of uncertainty. Part of her finally could breathe and relax knowing that Ischia was back in good hands.
It was a change of season.
A change Eva had never expected to happen. She had never thought of herself stepping up to lead and be the voice for all of Ischia. But within her heart, she knew she needed to do it. She had to protect what Ischia was and all her family and friends.
With time, she knew she would have to wait and see how everything unfolded. Being a leader was new and something the nereid wanted to do right with. She didn’t want to give anyone a reason to doubt her and her ability to lead everyone that called the Island their home.
However, time simply does not allow her to focus on such things. The season of change comes quickly, and she only now realizes the last couple of days how close she is to give birth. Her body swelled instantly with new life after sharing a moment of serenity with her dearest friend Velkan.
This time it was different though. Her stomach expanded much larger the last couple months. She felt different in ways than she had in her previous pregnancies. Most days lately she had spent sleeping away, waking for some hours to look after Loire and Aeolus, and eating when necessary. There was not much to worry about considering the familiar lull of Ischia had returned now.
Eva had found herself more in the familiar area of Ischia where she has given birth to all her children. It is a remote area of the island that often not many others go to. A place she prefers to when bringing her children into the world. Loire and Aeolus are familiar with the area since they both had spent a time here after their birth so she does not worry for them, especially knowing Aquaria and likely others will look after her little ones while she is gone.
It is about mid-morning when she begins to feel contractions. Naturally instinct takes over as she moves to find her familiar birthing area on the white sandy beach. Tropical greenery expands a little farther out here. A few palm trees hang overhead her. She can hear the lapping of water—a familiar sound that gives her comfort always during this time.
Laying down on the seashore, the contractions come closer. She makes herself comfortable and allows nature to take its course. Her breathing is soft and controlled as she gives the first push and then a few more before she feels the birth of her new offspring completed. Eva moves to welcome her new foal into the world, but another contraction begins—a surprise, but she felt within her heart these previous months she might have more than one gift this season. Allowing nature to take course once more, Eva gives birth to another with heavy breathing and one last push.
Feeling the contractions and labor pains subside. She hears the soft noises of not one, but two little ones. Lifting herself up into a sitting position, Eva finds two beautiful colored foals. A smile instantly spreads across her lips. Eva rises from her position and tends to the newborns. “My beautiful little babies,” she hums softly with warmth and happiness. Eva gently attends to each of them. Discovering that she has a new son and daughter.
“Donny, my beautiful boy,” she says softly as she cleans the last remaining bits of birth from his body. Her golden gaze then turns to her new daughter. “And Millicent, my sweet little girl.” She smiles sweetly as she glances from each of them. Eva tends to them more, double-checking to ensure she has cleaned every bit of them.
I don’t know if you can tell this about me, but this is the first time I’ve been in a situation like this and I am all sorts of confused about how it is all supposed to work. I don’t exactly have the best role models for parents, you know? And aside from a few brief interactions, I’ve ever actually seen a foal since, you know, I was one.
So the idea of being a dad is absolutely and utterly terrifying.
Not knowing how long these things take, but knowing at least where I could find Eva, I decided to oh-so-casually stop by a few days ago. I’d never tell this to her, but when I saw her she looked like she would pop if she so much as brushed up against a thorn and then there would be just babies everywhere. How many babies to mares even carry normally? She looked like she could be carrying a whole litter of puppies!
But Eva is my friend so of course I said none of this. To her, anyway. I’ve said it to you and a nice squirrel I was eating the other day.
It’s a good thing my beautiful friend is so capable because I have been absolutely no help during this pregnancy. Unless you count bringing her pretty shells and flowers to make her smile.
I’ve got a flower held gently in my teeth – these tropical plants have some AMAZING flowers!! Did you know that? The one in my teeth is HUGE and such a bright red it hurts my eyes a little bit but I love it and I want to bring a present for the baby.
I drop it, though, when I realize that one flower won’t be enough.
I drop it when I start to tremble when I take in the sight of something I never in a million years thought I deserved – a family. My family.
With two perfect foals.
“Eva.” I breathe out her name and it’s as far as I can get because this wave of pure emotion just washes right over me and drowns me right there. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried before, but I am right now. I love them so much already it hurts, I can feel my black heart (not a metaphor, btw) swell with this new feeling.
I’ve made friends and I’ve started to create my own family with them, but I’ve never really thought about it just… it hits me as I look at the two little purple figures, each with little nubs that might be antlers one day. Antlers they can spear apples onto and hopefully not woodland creatures.
Do they have my teeth?
I want to meet them so bad but I’m rooted where I am, peering over a shrub like some sort of creep. “Can I…” Again – I don’t know the protocol here. Eva and I have obviously gotten to know each other quite well to create these two little lives but even though I want to go over to her, want to nudge her soft cheek and breathe in the scent of our children.
But I'm rooted by the fear that I will be kept on the edge, that maybe Eva doesn't want me to help raise them. That once more I'm going to be chased away from the warmth and left on my own.
It takes some effort, but my black eyes turn to the mare - that unfinished question written all over every single part of me.
your waves are pulling me under i'm caught in your riptide
With every birth, Eva is instantly consumed with love and adoration for her new foals. There was an unspeakable overwhelming amount of emotions she could never fully explain to anyone. Perhaps it was the love of a mother—a love that can only be experienced when life grows within. It is a love that has become fiercely ingrained in her to give the best for all her children and protect them with her life.
Eva wonders sometimes if it was the same for her birth mother. Sometimes she thinks back on the moment she was born on that the grey stormy day. There she had laid with death all around her on a bone-bleach beach, but she had only felt the deepest of love when the winged mare whispered her name. It was a moment she could never forget, a memory she holds dearly in the depths of her heart.
Her hum of song continues as she nuzzles each of her newborns. A beautiful pair of twins she had never imagined would be an absolute blessing to her. She imagines how Aeolus and Loire would react. Both at least would be pleased to know they each had a younger brother and sister. Eva laughs softly at the idea of Loire finding out if she had two younger brothers. Loire already had a handful with Aeolus she thinks.
Thinking of her two oldest offspring, the purple nereid looks up from her two children. She knows her two children were bound to come looking for her after a little while considering their excitement to meet their new siblings. However, she spots someone she didn’t quite expect to find her all the way out here.
Instantly a smile curls up on her soft purple lips. Her heart is filled with warmth at seeing Velkan. There are a mix of emotions easily readable on his dark features, but Eva recognizes them. She has felt some of those emotions before. Immediately she wants those dark emotions to be washed away from her friend’s heart and mind. Every part of her wanted Velkan to be part of the family they have created—she needed him, and her children needed their father.
“Well what are you waiting for?” She says with a soft laugh. “Come meet your children, Velkan!”
He is the first to open his eyes.
The light is blinding, for a moment, but he presses closer to his mother as he blinks it away. His endlessly black eyes clear, and he looks up at her, a stunning, glowing purple figure, her eyes warm and kind.
He immediately grows bored of laying there with his mother and sister and stretches his legs out, launching himself up before standing on them, wobbly. He stands on his first try, but topples over almost as quickly. As he picks himself back up, he whinnies excitedly — though it comes out more like a scream.
Donny is overwhelmed with excitement; the sights and the smells and the feeling of soft grass beneath his hooves is so different from the cramped warmth of his mother’s womb, pressed against his sister. He looks over at Millicent, firmly planted on the ground, and takes two weak, wobbly steps towards her to try to nudge her on her feet.
“VELK!!!” He screeches at her, attempting to repeat after his mother, not really knowing what he’s saying. He reaches his head down to nudge Milly, but instead topples over, headbutting her with his little antler nubs.
“Velk,” he hmphs, pouting.
