Masquerade of Madness: Birthing and Forgiveness

When Creed and Sue made it home, Gin met them at the door, curious and a whole lot concerned. He knew he wanted nothing to do with this scene.

"Why is there a huge ugly creature on my living room floor and why is Spike covered in blood?"

"Can't talk now, Dad, long story short, it's pregnant." Gin choked on his coffee.

Sue ran to grab some towels while Creed sat calmly beside the creature's opening. "Creed," Sue called out to him, "what are you doing?"

"Waiting."

"Why?"

"For it to give birth."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Sue asked, worried.

"Before my brother's wife, Mininna, went missing, she made me take a class on pregnancy."

"Why?" Sue asked, very curious.

"Because she said Vincent was unreliable, that he did not want her giving birth in a hospital."

"Was she pregnant?"

"No, they just liked to plan."

The Nard let out a loud roar of pain. The wooden floor creaked and groaned at the weight of the beast. Sue wondered if the floor was going to collapse at any moment.

"What are you doing, killing it?" Gin yelled from the kitchen.

"No!" Creed yelled back, "she has started her contractions!"

Gin walked into the room as the roar and squeaks of pain were getting louder. The Nard seemed to be hyperventilating. Gin wasn't prepared for the disturbing sight before him – seeing the Nard's powerful legs spread to where he could see the opening. The odor in the room smelled like bad deep-fried fish. Gin fought to control the urge to throw up. Losing the battle, he ran out of the room and into the bathroom.

The Nard's contractions began to get closer together, as her little one's head peaked out. Sensing the mother's need to give up, Creed gently stroked her arm. "Come on, you can do this," he urged. Around midnight, the baby's whole head emerged.

Gin felt mentally exhausted and not prepared for anymore screams. Agitated, Spike disappeared into her own dimension. Sue wore a mask around her mouth while Creed tried to cover his nose. The sickening smell now permeated the entire house.

The Nard pushed one last time and let lose a horrid scream that shook the house.

Gin thought for sure it must be dead. His nerves were already on edge. His hands shook as he made his fifth cup of coffee. He saw his neighbors gathering outside his house, disturbed, left wondering what could be happening.

The baby wiggled out . . . covered in a sticky slim . . . it couldn't breathe. Creed quickly cleaned it and the baby let out a sharp cry. Sue wrapped it in a towel and handed it to the mother.

Crystal showed up, frowning.

Sue looked worried. But Crystal just sat on the couch, watching the Nard, she then announced,

"You know your house stinks?" She got up and opened some windows.

The mother Nard held her baby, staring at it, trying to determine if it was weak or strong.

Creed noticed this and got worried. He took Sue and Crystal out of the room. "They live in such a harsh environment if you hear screaming, do not come in." Creed walked back into the room.

The new mother continued to study her baby as it grabbed her claw. Now she knew he was strong. She cried out triumphantly, and Creed sighed with relief.

Sue couldn't handle the unknown any longer and went after Creed. "What was that about?" She needed to know.

"I thought she was going to eat it."

Crystal came near the Nard. The Nard held out her baby, and Crystal sat on the couch holding it.

The Nard mother tried to assess the situation, to determine whether the human was friend or foe. But Crystal just smiled and rocked the baby. Overcome with complete exhaustion from giving birth, the Nard soon fell asleep, knowing her baby was in good hands.

Gin couldn't, and he was not sleeping after that. How could they let it give birth here? And now it was staying the night. Great, he thought sarcastically. Gin opened more windows, still trying to purge the smell, as Creed and Sue went to sleep.

In the morning the sounds of the shower running woke Sue. "Oh, no, he does not!" she screamed out loud. Sue ran to the bathroom, barging in.

Creed wrapped his wings around himself, groaning, "Sue, haven't you heard of privacy?"

She ignored him and reached her hand into the shower, switching it to cold.

Creed yelped and stepped out of the shower. Sue was already down the hall.

Gin muttered darkly, "Glad someone could sleep around here."

Crystal busily chased the new born around the house.

"I thought you hated them," Sue said thoughtlessly.

"Not anymore. If it weren't so ugly, it would be cute." Crystal caught the baby, tickling it gently.

"Hi, Creed." She looked up just long enough to catch a glimpse of Creed coming into the room.

Creed emerged, dressed in a horrible mood. "I hate you!" He pointed briefly at Sue.

"Good morning, butterfly," Sue teased.

Gin raised an eyebrow. "I hate you both."

Sue ran to the bathroom, trying to succeed in getting some hot water finally.

"Is there any way to turn off the hot water?" Creed asked Gin, fully intent on putting an end to his shower interruptions.

"Yes," Gin replied, "downstairs in the cellar."

Creed stood up and turned toward what he guessed was the cellar door.

Gin quickly spoke up, "Or you could just run water."

Creed did not hesitate, turning the water on full blast. In just a few minutes, he could not hide his devilish delight as Sue yelled out in anguish.

Her yell startled the youngster, who ran for its mother. The creature became annoyed and hit it, causing it to go rolling across the floor.

Crystal took the female Nard's arm, and holding it over her shoulder; she tried to help her to her feet. "I forgive you," Crystal spoke softly to the beast.

The Nard had never heard those words, not even in Nard language. It warmed the heart in her throat. She momentarily discovered feelings that are not part of her world.

Sue jumped out of the shower and stomped up the hall, wearing only a towel. She wanted to give someone a piece of her mind, but Spike broke her outrage, as she suddenly showed up with dried blood on her clothes and not smelling very good.

"Someone needs a bath," Gin called out grudgingly. All these smells were just too much for him.

Creed replied lamely, "Later."

"No, now!" Gin insisted.

Creed got up and leads Spike down the hall to the bathroom. Spike stripped off the bloody clothes, then threw her herself into the shower.

The baby chased Crystal around, laughing and squealing, like a baby piglet.

The Nard picked up her baby, wondering why it wasn't hungry.

"I fed it," Crystal spoke as if reading the mother's mind.

The Nard gratefully bowed her head and gradually backed out of the room. Holding her baby tightly, she took her leave and disappeared, to make their way back to the world of the Nards. When she returned, she reported to the future queen who wasn't so pleased with the failures or the deaths.

Crystal missed the Nard baby pouting. "I want a baby!" she announced.

Sue looked at her. "Just yesterday you were willing to let it die."

"A change of heart," Crystal said mindlessly.

This was all Gin could handle. He left the room and slammed his bedroom door behind him.

Creed shrugged his shoulders and went to his room, too. He needed to get the rest he missed last night. And besides, he wanted nothing to do with this conversation.

Sue looked at Crystal. "Are you crazy?"

"Kinda, but . . ." Crystal's words trailed off as she jumped to her feet. "Crap, I forgot to get Ashley!" she yelled as she burst out the door in a hurry.

"Nice," Sue murmured sarcastically and went to bed.

Crystal hurried down the pathway that led to Ashley's school, all the while beating herself up for being so immature and thoughtless. How could she forget her daughter?

Ashley sighed, waiting for Crystal at her school and allowing her thoughts to drift. She was smart, she knew that, but why did she have to be here with that annoying human? And why did she have to change her name? The little girl grew angry as the color of red flashed in her mind.

At least she found him, the one that had betrayed her race. The problem was, he seemed nice and like he was the one betrayed by everything around him. He had even healed her. Life is unfair, she thought. She had so many questions. She missed her mom in Casalynn. She missed her friends. Yin began to cry as she realized that her true mother was not really very motherly. This human that took her in was more of a mother than her own.

Ashley's teacher looked concerned. Sighing in frustration, she gazed around her brightly lit classroom. She wanted to help her students but realized no matter how much she helped them, there would always be problems. It was this place, this city of lost prayers, this city that breeds problems for their young, she thought apathetically.

She studied all of her students' artwork pinned around the wall. Ashley's artwork was by far the most interesting piece. The little girl simply called it "home where her real mother was." The drawing looked like a complex heaven with rain pouring down on it.

Crystal ran into the classroom, interrupting the teacher's thoughts. Taking Ashley by the hand,

Crystal bent over to ask, "How was school?"

"Sad," was Ashley's one-word response, as she looked away, dropping Crystal's hand.

Crystal studied the little girl. "What was so sad about it?"

Ashley flung her arms around Crystal's neck, hugging her tightly. "Someday I will leave this place and miss you instead of my mother." Then she retreated from the hug and stepped away.

"You sound different." Crystal stood up, again offering her hand and thinking, wow, she is acting strange. What should I do?

"No, thanks, human. I do not need it."

"What!" Crystal was stunned. "Please don't say that. I couldn't take it if you suddenly hated me." She turned her head down.

"I am too old to be acting like a baby."

"Who says?" Crystal asked as her eyebrows furrowed.

"I just know it."

"Come here," Crystal said firmly raising her head.

"No!" Ashley screamed. "My mother was never like you. She will not like me if I do not complete my . . ." Acting on reflex, Ashley's body moved forward, step by step. She realized it and just ran to Crystal. "Mommy, I am so scared. I was so scared. Why didn't you find me earlier? Why was I alone?"

Crystal smiled a little for comfort and then frowned. "I'm sorry I never thought of it. If I would have known you existed, I would have come home with you sooner. But I never thought of it." Because I am only a high school student, she thought to herself.

"Do I get in your way? My old mother said I did, that I was useless and that this was the only way I could make myself useful."

"I'm so sorry I didn't realize you were suffering on the inside. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes." The little girl held onto Crystal's hand as they walked through the paths toward home.