Maternity

by Desmon Arnold

A white light gently blanketed the early morning, illuminating the rolling fields of blooming daisies and other spring wildflowers that the two young celestials rested in. "Wake up, sweetheart." Deshai said, resting comfortably on Liphan's chest. Her bare skin was tickled by the few inch high grass as she moved to sit on his stomach, sliding fully onto his larger form with the exception of her legs which straddled him, leaning down with a devilish grin. She'd move her hands down, pressing them flat against his abdomen and sliding them slowly upwards. The gentle touch of her elegant hands left behind trails of grey and withered skin in their wake. Liphan started awake at the sudden rot and subsequent pain that followed with her touch, eyes wide as he sat up in a startled panic.. Deshai, ever so mischievous, met his panicked movements half way, as his chest hit hers and her lips moved in to meet his. He'd blink in surprise at the kiss, before chuckling in the back of his throat, and leaning in to the affection with a pleased stretch of his wings. "Mmm.. did I sleep in again, my dearest queen?" He'd say, with a breathless and sleepy tone. Eyes still quite tired, though the affection that could be read in his gaze was immeasurable. "You did." She said, pouting slightly with crossed arms. "Though, that doesn't matter now. I had a dream." She said, looking to him with an expression that demanded he ask what about. He'd pause, chuckling slightly as his eyes traced her elegant form. "Alright, alright. Well, I'm awake now. What ever could you have dreamt about?" He'd say, passively running his fingers along the grey she'd left behind on his body earlier, healing the decay with simply his touch. "And is it really so urgent as to almost kill me?" He'd follow up, grinning ever so slightly up at the woman sat in his lap. Deshai's eyes flared with frustration, but she took a breath, sighed, and explained. "I had a dream that I could make things. I want to make things." She said, determination in her tone. "You make things that can make other things, all the time! If they're modeled after us, then couldn't.. I?" She'd continue, though the doubt clearly began to dominate her tone near the end of her words, as her wings drooped from their exasperated puffed out position they were in before. Liphan frowned slightly, though his expression slowly shifted to a soft smile. "Deshai. My dear. We will try, alright? Why don't we ask Shiwa if it's even possible, alright?" He'd say, leaning in close to her now. His wings would curl around, tickling the skin of her back between her own wings with the tips of his feathers, causing her to arch into him, closer to his affections as he kissed up her collar and neck. She'd shiver at his movements, though nodding slowly. "Mph.. yes, alright my love. My golden king." She'd say, having matched his tone, breath now lost as she broke away, looking longingly down into his hope filled beautiful golden eyes with her own, simple yet majestic pools of liquid silver. After a moment of hesitation, possibly from fear, anticipation, or a mixture of both, she'd nod. "Y-Yea.. Let's do it. Let's ask."

• • • • •

The duo would find themselves outside Argent now, their forms much larger than the forms they would take to avoid scaring Liphan's many children. They drifted through the endless black void of the space around the shell, towards the speckled star library in the sky. The Oracle's Archive, as Shiwa called it. They would approach the large black doors, and Deshai, her nervousness ever intensifying, would reach for the stars that made up the doors handle. Before her hand could reach it, the door would swing inward away from her hand, causing her to start. She'd jump up in surprise as a large black blade of shadow formed in her hands nearly instinctively. Shiwa stood on the other side of the portal, calm and cool, smiling up at the two. "Evening, children. The answer is yes." She'd say, yawning a bit as she slouched a bit forward. "To the question you were going to ask." Liphan blinked in surprising, shadowing Deshai still, having already moved to slip an arm around her waist to pull her close, moving his free hand to gently lower her blade. Deshai on the other hand, having seen Shiwa, would have growled. About to snap, tell her off for scaring her, maybe even strike. Deshai opened her mouth and stepped forward, only for her anger to crumble under her words. The sword would fade and she would step back in surprise, pressing into Liphan's chest, as his wings folded forward to wrap around hers. "I.. it's possible? It works?" She said, looking back at Liphan with an excited smile, wings tightening around his.

"Don't get too excited." He'd kid, grinning slightly at how happy she was. "You might accidentally cause a famine if you keep this energy up." He'd say, snorting a bit at his own words before looking back at Shiwa, and raising an eyebrow. "Really? I didn't think Oum would give us that sorta freedom." Shiwa nods, confirming her previous words. "Yes. All of my plans for Oum's creations have contingents for the event that Oum could theoretically die. Though not possible, all of my contingents have contingents for the possibility of the impossible." Deshai at this point would have completely zoned out and moved on from the nonsense that was coming out of Shiwa's mouth. "Li! Li! Come one, let's go! I wanna try it!" She'd say, grinning wide with excitement as she'd hop up and wrap her body around his. Her legs would tighten around his waist and her arms around his neck, as her wings covered her completely from Shiwa's view. Only the sound of her soft exhales of pleasure audible as she assaulted Liphan's chest. Liphan would flush, and look to Shiwa. "Should we exercise any caution? Any limits?" He said, though with each words his self control waned, his wings stiffening outward with pleasure. Shiwa would smirk, and shake her head. In the way you would seeing children discover something entirely mundane, and yet being unreasonable excited about it. "No, Liphan. There is a limit to the power you can create. The more children you have, the weaker they will all be." She said, stepping back. "Now, I'll leave you two too it then." She'd chuckle, stepping forward and closing the door. In the moments that followed, Liphan's will would almost immediately break, and the two would carry themselves off to somewhere private where they wouldn't disturb anybody.

• • • • •

"What the hell do you mean my son will never be happy!?" Deshai screamed, the walls of Shiwa's now trashed study peeling and tearing, and the pages of every book in the room fading and withering. "Why didn't you warn me!? Why didn't you tell us when we first came here!? I don't want this for my baby!" She'd continue, her anger only intensifying as Shiwa laid in the center of her office, heart beating slow, body convulsing as it was ravaged from the inside. Organs filing, muscles rejecting her. "I-... Deshai they- AH!" Shiwa let out a small scream, curling in on herself from the pain. "They're necessary! They are going t-to represent a vital part of the mortal psych-AHHH!" Shiwa's attempt at an explanation was cut short, as her spine began to curl backwards, and her lungs began to fail. "Excuses. My child is not your divine tool!" She'd cry, eyes welling with tears as her free hand wrapped itself protectively over the sizable bump in her stomach. "Y-You waited so long..." She'd mumble to the room, biting down on her own lip. "This was a mistake! I'll never forgive you for this Shiwa! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!!" She'd scream, and after a moment, she'd collapse to her knees, panting as she'd begin to sob.

Her magic would let up after a short time, as Liphan would finally arrive. The window to the study would shatter as he'd quickly bring himself to Shiwa's side, leaning down to wrap his arms around her limp dying form and pull her up into his lap, running his hands along her form as her body began to recover. "I.. knew you'd.. show up.." She'd say, gasping for air as she'd smile up at Liphan. Though, he wouldn't smile back. "Not the time, Shiwa." She'd set her down, having allowed her to recover just enough to walk, before standing and making his way over to his partner. He'd kneel infront of her, taking both of her hands out of her hair and interlocking her fingers with his. "My queen... Trust our sister. She wouldn't ask this pain of our son if it wasn't necessa-" "I don't care!" She'd cry, interrupting, pressing herself forward as she fell into hsi arms, crying into his chest. "Put your pain one someone that isn't my son..." She'd look up, over Liphan's shoulder at the disheveled Shiwa making her way to her desk for support, before glancing back up to Liphan who looked down with concerned and soft eyes. Hers glared back, though behind the anger was fear, and pain. "I'll never forgive her Li... never..."

• • • • •

"WaaAHHHH! AAaaAAHH!" The dark skinned, small winged child cried, clutching to it's oddly calm counterpart in pain and agony. Deshai laid in agony on the master bed of a small farmhouse, within a village recently stricken by plague and disease. Liphan stood at her side, smiling down at the two new born children in his arms. Like their parents, the two babies had wings, though their feathers were more like a thin down at this point. Each babies skin was drastically different than their sibling counterpart. The young boy, screaming and wailing, had dark chocolate brown skin, and dark green eyes. His sister on the other hand, completely calm if not smiling, had pearlescent white skin, and soft pink eyes that's gaze carried an aura of happiness with it. "Remember what Shiwa said..?" Liphan began. "She was right... Our boy the bad, and our girl the good." He'd say, gesturing to their behavior, before he would smile up at her, offering them over. "Why don't you hold them?" Deshai's eyes would soften as the pain would swiftly leave her body, a subtle golden light dancing across her skin. "I.. I would love to." She'd smile, though a look of pain crossed her expression as her eyes danced across the boy, concerned, before resting them in her arms, holding her children close to her chest, closing her eyes. "Take care of eachother..."

Summary

The story details the birth of both of Deshai and Liphan's children. Akari and Usugo. As well as the interaction that caused Deshai to hate Shiwa. After not warning her that her child would never be able to smile, Deshai denounced Shiwa as both family and as an ally. It isn't uncommon for followers of Deshai to denounce Shiwa and her followers entirely for this act, as well as nurturing those who follow Usugo.

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