"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
And just like that it was time. The moon hung full and bright, guiding her away from the comfortable spot where she had slumbered next to her beloved out into the night. The path was an easy one to find as well as one she was familiar with. Her hooves carried her quickly across the dampened grass and through the trees to the small clearing where she had delivered her daughter.
She kept as quiet as she possibly could, making only small grunts of effort as the contractions forced the child from her womb. It didn't take as long as it had when she birthed Tyrna, and a handful of heartbeats later it was finished. Lying beside her in the grass was the latest addition to her family, a small colt that looked just like his father. Shatter quickly set to work getting the boy cleaned up.
He was perfect. The queen had forgotten what it was like to stare into the eyes of her newborn, and the immediate and unbreakable love that she felt. Whatever happened now, she would do better by her son than she had her daughter. She would not let her own feelings destroy her as a mother, and this time she wouldn't have to raise him alone.
When she shifts against him in the black void of night Tiberios awakens slowly. She’s tense; he can feel the surge of instinct ripple across her skin. He doesn’t try to stop or sooth her - Shatter is more experienced at these matters than Tiberios ever could be, so he only watches in the blue-black as her silver form glides away. Of course, he’s not far behind her. Despite the fact that this was their second child, this birthing was brand new to Tiberios. He hadn’t been there for Tyrna’s birth (a fact that still haunts him) so this occurrence was alien to him.
Granted, by the time he peers through the undercover that protects the seasoned mother, Shatter is surprisingly finished. He watches breathlessly while his new child takes the first deep gulps of life, and feels his heart constrict as the two - mother and progeny - bond on some level Tiberios will never know. His queen breaths the foal’s name into the air and Tiberios can no longer hold his ground.
With carefully placed steps he eases forward, nose lowering to hover above the ground while he first checks over Shatter. A tender kiss, planted with reverent sincerity on her sterling forehead, speaks wordlessly of his affection for her. And then, his molten eyes flicker to a child who mirrors him. A son. Khalis. With a breathy smile the stallion folds his knees and lowers himself to the ground beside Shatter, his body bending to conform to hers so that he can support her and marvel at their creation. “If I had my way,” he whispers into her ear, “We’d have a hundred children. You have a gift for creating perfect life.”
The endless smile plastered to his lips presses against her neck and he chuckles softly into the waning dark. His nose moves slowly away then, finding the silky newborn. The gold-faced stallion blows his scent across the shimmering fur of his son and reasons that life could not be more perfect.
Bright eyes track his movements in the moonlight. This time was so much different than Tyrna's birth had been, and for that she was thankful. She delivered their son alone, but this time she could share the love with his father. Tiberios should have been with her the first time around as well, but she didn't hold it against him. He was here now and that was all that mattered.
Shatter felt the warmth from his body and leaned back into him, grateful for the love and support. This was how it could have been from the start, but they were older now,wiser. Though their paths had split for a time, Shatter knew she would go to the ends of the earth and back as long as she could keep him by her side. He is her match in every way, and when they moved together towards the same goal they created beauty in their wake. As evidenced by their strong, wild daughter, and innocent son. The bundle at her feet was so fragile and the most wonderful thing she had ever seen. The beauty of their children would always leave her in awe.
His whispers bring a tired smile creeping across her lips. "I don't know about one hundred children but perhaps one or two more." She giggles softly as she plants tender kisses on their newborn. "I could not have brought this little boy into being without some help. You make quite handsome children." Shatter looks up at her beloved tenderly, "I love you, Tiberios. Our family is perfect, and I could not have done this without you by my side. Khalis will grow to be just as strong and handsome as his father I believe."
The queen smiles warmly in the moonlight, and can't help but give thanks for finally finding the love she needed from the start.
Tiberios