Reformation Pt 1
The second sun had only just set, leaving a lingering twilight in the Academy's Memorial Garden. Mahrayne's light sensitive eyes had no trouble discerning the small details of newly sprouting plants in the waiting garden beds. It was almost two hundred days since the appearance of the hash'shavven had brought the short, vicious war in Vejiitamachi to an end and the hot season was drawing close, much to the zn'hres' collective relief.
*Are they here?* Mahrayne asked her twin. Alida smiled and shook her head.
*No. The dead have all gone on to... wherever they're meant to go.*
*The zn'hre believe they're reborn when they die.* the Hassinan mused. *We – and the Kori-jin – believe we go to an afterlife while the Saiya-jin believe that once you're dead you simply no longer exist.* Mahrayne sighed. *Who's right?*
*Perhaps we all are?* Alida wrapped her arms around her sibling.*Perhaps what happens to your soul after you die depends on your belief?*
*I can't accept that.* Mahrayne frowned. *If that was the case then I'd never see Kelapa again, or Kuri. And what about Kinu? Korena? …Leteetza?* She shuddered. Alida chuckled, nuzzling her twin's cheek.
*In that case you'd better try and convince these brutally pragmatic Saiyans that they're wrong.*
The dancer laughed out loud.
*Wrong? A Saiyan? Wrong?*
*You can be very persuasive when you want to be.*Alida grinned good-humouredly then stepped around in front of Mahrayne and held out her hand. *Come, heart's light, dance with me and remember the dead...*
Kelapa landed silently, if to her sensibilities, clumsily, at the perimeter of the garden. The bulk of her advanced pregnancy was making her feel unwieldy now and she was heartily sick of the inconvenience. Just like every other fucking female on the planet she'd come into heat within a few days of the end of the fighting, and had briefly, irrationally, entertained the hope she wouldn't have to conceive. After all, what male, what elite male, would want to sire a brat on her? No such luck; she ran - flew, rather - smack into Jahonda and instinct had taken over. It was all done in a matter of heartbeats then they'd parted without a word, Kelapa not at all happy but warmed a little with the thought of her mate's inevitable joy at having another brat to coddle…
The warrior's warm brown eyes softened as she watched the Hassinan dance in the fading light. She loved watching her mate; dancing, sleeping, eating, it didn't matter, the sight of her lover always made her feel good. Except… Kel suppressed a shudder, right now Mahrayne's movements suggested she was dancing with someone, someone… not there. For the most part the Saiyan conveniently forgot the fact - fact? fucking prove it!- of 'rayne's dead sister's presence. The warrior frowned: it was a fucking stupid notion anyway, dead was dead, but still… There were times, when she was mind-speaking with her mate, there was a peculiar sort of echo, as if she was speaking into a room to which was attached another, unseen space… Kelapa shook herself, fixed a half-smirk on her face and loped towards the Hassinan.
*Takibi.*
Mahrayne spun to a standstill, her eyes lighting up.
*Jha-tunovhan!* dressed in one of Kelapa's disdained, graceful Pankuzan robes, the dancer seemed to ripple towards the warrior. She molded herself to strong body with a happy sigh, one hand dropping to caress Kel's distended abdomen as she kissed her mate. *Are you well?*
Kelapa grimaced – the brat had chosen that moment to kick her in the ribs.
*As well as can be expected.* she grumbled.
Mahrayne laughed and kissed her again.
*It won't be long now.*
*Hn.*
*We're alone tonight.* A shadow passed briefly over the Hassinan's face then her smile returned. *Shall we go to the beach? We can stop and get some food first.*
Kelapa heaved a grateful sigh.
*Yes please.*
*Good.* Mahrayne tilted her head to the side. *Kyuri came to see me today.*
*Why?*
*To ask if I - or we - could look after her child when Kyuri has to work.*
Kel frowned, tail twitching behind her.
*Why doesn't she just put the brat in the crèche?*
*She said that because your child and hers are siblings -* both were sired by Jahonda, *- it would be beneficial for them to grow up knowing each other.*
*I suppose so…* the warrior wasn't immediately enamoured of having another baby around, at least some of the time. *But what about when you're working? You're not exactly idle.*
Which was true, Mahrayne had to concede – between her work at the Academy, helping to re-establish the city's schools and everything else she was involved in, there wouldn't be a lot of time left for child-minding.
*When neither you, nor I, nor Kyuri are available, the children can go to the crèche together. Kyuri has also offered to look after both of them when she's free and we're not.* Mahrayne added helpfully.
*I see.* the warrior shrugged. *Yeah, all right then.* She grinned lop-sidedly at her mate's beaming smile. *Can we eat now? I'm hungry again…*
A couple of days later, while Mahrayne was taking Zha'haarak for a dance lesson, she mentioned the care arrangements being made for the new brats.
"I would be happy to look after them…" the gentle zn'hre had offered with a small smile. Mahrayne paused - that wasn't something she'd considered, and she doubted Kyuri had either, but she didn’t think the deputy Captain would object…
"Thank you, Highness, if it won't be an inconvenience."
"It won't…"
Mahrayne noted the brief, deep sadness in the zn'hre's expression, guessing accurately at its cause.
"How… how is Ti'aasaan?"
Zha'haarak sighed.
"The same."
Mahrayne blinked away tears, Kinu had told her how the little zn'hre had shut himself off from everybody except his hostling. Zha'haarak's great, golden eyes brightened fractionally.
"Fortunately Zo'rien… while not exactly thriving… is getting stronger…"
"I'm glad to hear that." The Hassinan smiled wistfully; she hadn't seen her ex-mate's last sireling since they'd left Kamome. She gazed up at Zha'haarak "I think of them both, often."
A cool, long-fingered hand cupped her cheek.
"One day Ti'aasaan will appreciate that…"
Mahrayne nodded numbly, then forced a smile.
"We'd better keep going, Highness, or the lesson will be over before we know it…!"
Kinu sank back in the steaming water with a grateful sigh.
*Hard day, zkai'da?* 'jau grinned, snuggling into the youngster's side. They were alone, for the moment, in one of the family's huge baths.
*Oh yes,* Kinu turned his head to nuzzle his bondmate's mane. *But it's been interesting… fun.* The silver-maned cub had been spending every moment he could with Zyelenyi at the Diplomatic corps, helping the newly-appointed Chief Diplomat pull the corps together. It was a challenge, and so much work, but it was rewarding beyond anything else Kinu had tackled in his short life. And, when he was immersed in the work there were even times the loss of his sire didn't ache quite so much…
*Fun?* 'jau chuckled, *I'll take your word for it…* He bent to nuzzle Kinu's neck, his green and flame tail sliding across the cub's groin.
Kinu froze, two spots of colour blossoming high on his cheeks.
*Do that again. With your tail.*
'jau blinked, then smirked half-hopefully and repeated the action, sliding the soft appendage across his bondmate's hips and between his thighs.
*Oooh…* Kinu breathed, pupils dilating wide in gold eyes, *That's really… nice.*
'jau eyed him for a moment then grinned.
*How does this feel?* he reached behind the little hybrid and gently ruffled the silky silver fur at the base of his tail. Kinu thought that was nice, too, if the way he was squirming, trying to push against both 'jau's hand and tail at the same time was any indication. Za'jau grinned. *Let me try something…*
Kinu watched, flushed with fresh arousal, as his mate sank beneath the water, almost yelping when a long, rough tongue wrapped itself around his erection.
*All right?* there was an element of smugness in the hybrid's mental tone.
*Y… yes.* Kinu panted. *Keep doing that.*
It didn't take long: Kinu arched up, jetting into his bondmate's mouth with a gasp. 'jau surfaced to smirk at the befuddled cub slumped back against the wall of the tub. He snuggled close, eyes glinting, and pressed his own hardness against his bondmate's thigh.
*Your turn.*
Kinu, already recovering, grinned and slid a hand down the cool smooth body…
'jau was lying in his arms, still quivering with the aftershocks of an orgasm intensified by his having made himself wait for ages for his bondmate to catch up, physically. Kinu brushed a loving kiss over parted lips.
*I'll need to learn to shift.*
The cubs locked eyes then 'jau smirked at Kinu, and Kinu smirked at 'jau: an instantaneous agreement was reached.
*Rad-san…!* they happily *chorused*, *Are you busy…?*
Are all Saiya-jin born at night? Mahrayne blinked awake, alerted by Kel's muffled, groaning growl.
"Maazis?" Kuri's enquiry was sleepy.
"Go back to sleep, brat." Kelapa ground out.
Kuri smirked and hauled himself upright, his dark mane more tousled than ever.
"No fucking way. This is my sibling, I'm gonna greet them."
The Hassinan watched the interchange with a smile: Kuri could be as stubborn as his mother when he put his mind to it. He was still being stubborn in fact over the treatment of his damaged arm, refusing to even consider the possibility of prosthetics because, he'd snarled, he wasn't going to cover up an honourably gained battle-scar! Mahrayne had quickly seen the futility of trying to convince the young warrior otherwise: Kuri really wasn't all that disadvantaged by only having one arm, especially not since his ki had increased dramatically in the meantime, which was something else to be proud of…
Another drawn-out groan pulled the Hassinan's attention back to her mate as the Saiyan paused in her pacing. Mahrayne resisted the urge to fuss, knowing it would only get her growled at, taking the opportunity instead to fill the deep, wide bath that had been included in their new quarters. The Hassinan guessed Kel would appreciate the chance to soak away the aches of childbirth later even if she couldn't coax her into the water now. Surprisingly though the Saiyan appeared at the door of the bathroom just as Mahrayne finished the task.
"Well, it didn't do you any harm." Kel growled almost defensively, accepting her mate's help getting into the deep tub, sagging back against Mahrayne with a pained grimace as another contraction rippled over her belly. Kuri, still naked from bed but fully awake now, loped in to sit cross-legged on the floor and wait. The cub was smirking but there was real concern in his dark eyes.
"Does it hurt, maazi?"
"No," Kel, panting, relaxed her gritted teeth.
The cub was sceptical, frowning as his mother bore down again.
"Looks painful."
This earned him a snarl and a withering glare so Kuri sensibly decided to keep his observations to himself for the duration…
"Heh." Kuri cradled his half-brother in his good arm, stroking the tip of his tail over the infant's belly. The baby yawned, blinking slowly as if sleepy, and twined his - very long - black tail around Kuri's own. "Strong." The cub smirked at his maazis.
"Hardly fucking surprising, given his sire." Kelapa winced, shifting a little, trying to ease the ache in her loins. Mahrayne grinned and glanced towards the suite's small balcony.
*He won't make an appearance,* Kel had followed her mate's gaze, *Jahonda's not all that interested in his brats.* This surprised the Hassinan, she'd assumed the intense devotion to their children she'd observed in Radittsu, Zorun and Hijau was standard amongst the Saiya-jin Elite.
"What are you going to call him, maazi?" Kuri looked up from his rapt perusal of the infant. Kelapa frowned, then half-smirked.
"Kurumi."
Her eldest son chuckled.
"That'll please ojisan."
The female snorted and held her arms out for the now hungry baby.
"'bout time I did something that fucking pleased him." she grumbled, settling her father's namesake to nurse. Kuri yawned, widely, and picked himself up off the floor.
"'m going back to bed." The cub ambled back out to the sleeping platform leaving the females alone with the latest addition to their family.
"Kurumi," Mahrayne, cuddled into Kel's side, reached over to stroke the infant's soft cheek with the back of a finger. He favoured his mother in looks, though his mane was long and dark, ending below his shoulders in ragged spikes. *He's beautiful, jha-tunovahn.*
Kelapa smirked.
*You'd say that even if he looked like his father!*
Mahrayne laughed - Kel had said on more than one occasion that while Jahonda's tail was acceptably long and sleek, his face looked like a land-slide…
*Of course I would,* the Hassinan kissed her mate's shoulder, *he's yours.*
*And yours.* Kel murmured, raising an eyebrow at the soft yearning suddenly flooding her mate's scent.
*Does that mean I can nurse him, too?*
Brown eyes narrowed, then the warrior shrugged and grinned lop-sidedly.
*Yeah, why the fuck not?*
*Thank you…* Mahrayne sighed happily, snuggling closer to her lover, wrapping an arm around mother and child.
Kelapa stifled a yawn.
"Hn, water's getting cold. As soon as the brat's finished guzzling we can go to bed." She closed her eyes. "Could sleep for a fucking ten-day."
Mahrayne's chuckle was rueful.
"I don't think he'll give you the chance to do that, sinam, yes?"
Kel smirked, turning to kiss her mate's cheek.
"And that's another fucking good reason to let you help feed him…"
Korena, Kinu and 'jau met the newborn the following morning after Mahrayne had reluctantly torn herself away to go to her classes at the Academy. The excited youngsters took it in turns to cuddle the sturdy infant until he started squirming, at which point Kel sighed and took Kurumi back, putting him to her breast before he could grizzle. 'rena was enchanted with her new 'little brother' - ignoring the fact they weren't blood-related - and she watched the baby feed with undisguised fascination. This was the first time - Kelapa realised - that she'd seen the little female really smile since her sire had disappeared. The warrior didn’t say anything but hoped quietly to herself that the infant's presence might tempt Korena to visit more often. Mahrayne missed her daughter, especially since the war and its consequences had seemed to halt the thawing of their relationship.
Kyuri's baby – a red-maned little female she'd named Mikan – had been born a few days before Kurumi but even so her half-brother was noticeably bigger right from the start. Kelapa rolled her eyes and said it was probably because the brat was being fed by two females, explaining to Kyuri the Hassinan's ability to nurse any child not just their own. Kyuri quirked an eyebrow at this but refrained from commenting about the unusual situation. It didn't look like Kurumi was suffering: far from it, he showed promise of growing into a tall and broad and very, very strong male. Thankfully the cubs took to each other immediately, gazing into each other's faces and giggling as they lay side by side at their first meeting. Like most Saiya-jin children that Mahrayne had known though, the half-siblings were competitive, as likely to try wrestling each other as snuggle together to sleep. Their ferocious mock-growls made Mahrayne laugh and the way their tails twined around each other while they slept was just so sweet. She hoped the pair would retain this uncomplicated, loving closeness - it would help sustain them through the ups and downs of life...
© 2004 August 11th Amanda Mullane
