Born of Shadows

Dragons


“Put him somewhere safe and hurry.” Seto called out as another pain broke across his body. It was all he could do to keep himself conscious and he was nearly too far gone for that also.
Jou hurriedly grabbed at the things he had gathered, cut the baby loose and cleaned him. Than, he was wrapped in a soft blanket and placed in the first of the three baby baskets that he had arranged nearby. He rushed back to the arching body of his Kitty and wrapped himself around the shaking shoulders that were falling back against the headboard as another pain subsided.
“Gods, I’m going to kill Yami for this one,” Jou swore, though he knew that the pharaoh had only been the messenger for this prophecy. Seto looked up into his face and smiled smugly.
“No, I think we can devise a better torture for the little midgets.” And the next wave of pain crashed onto his body, sending him forward and grabbing onto his knees. Jou leapt from the bed and rushed to aid his lover, as he watched the color of Seto’s skin turn to a dark pink from his exertions. Once more he reached into the shadow place and aided a life into the world, and as his second child was delivered, Seto crashed back onto the bed, and closed his eyes tightly, his breath ragged and his face bathed in sweat.
Jou looked down at the next child that lay in his arms and as he cut the cord and wrapped it tightly in a piece from his tie straps that held his supplies, he noted the difference from the first child.
They were both boys, but as the first had seemed pale like Seto, this child was darker. It was almost like they weren’t twins, but from different parents. He cleaned the child and carried it over to the baskets laying him carefully down and looking from one to the other.
“Well?” came a muted call from the bed. Jou looked up, and saw the questioning look on his lover’s face.
“Oh, um – Sorry. It’s another boy, and it looks different from the first.” He said, voicing his confusion.
“They don’t have to be identical. I like this better. Oh, Gods!” Seto said and Jou was sure that another child was on its way already. But, Seto was laying still and when Jou came to him, and placed a hand on his forehead, the CEO looked up with pained eyes.
“What is it?” Jou said, tilting his head.
“I haven’t thought up any names.” Was the frustrated cry. Jou laughed.
“It can wait until they are all here. You know Seto,” he began and then paused, not wanting to cause any pain to his love. “We still don’t know if we are going to be able to keep them.”
“That’s why I’m so upset. If I have to only remember them, I need to have names to attach to the feelings.” And he closed his eyes, and shook his head.
Seto didn’t have time to ponder it further as the third child took this opportunity to make itself known. The wrenching of his body wracked the brunet and he clutched at Jou in panic.


Yugi rushed down the halls, as Yami collected their possession and worked on the stuff of shadows. It was going to be close, but he was not about to take back the promise he had given the two, so he did what he had to, while he trusted Yugi to follow his instructions to the letter.

Kaiba Seto was no stranger to pain. He had felt the pains of hunger when he had been in the first orphanage, and then the blows from other boys who were jealous of not only his intellect, but also the devotion of his baby brother. He had come between their fists and that same brother on many occasions. He had then learned first hand how the small evils of little boys grow into the devil’s work in adults. He had suffered once more at the hand of the man who had promised to care for him as if he were his own son. But, today he was feeling a pain he had never known could exist. And it was about to tear him in two.
Jou knelt between his spread knees and watched him, worry etching his features as the last of the three babies refused to breech the surface and join it’s brothers in life.
It was almost as if the child was stubbornly clinging to Seto for fear of being separated from him.
“Push Kasshoku. It has to come, now.” And with the next pain the brunet grabbed his knees and tensed his jaw, extending his physical power and forcing his body to respond.
Jou saw the telltale flow of blood and reached out, coaxing the baby with his hands and gentle words. “It’s okay, baby. We won’t let anything happen to you, if you just trust us.”
The tearing feeling sent a scream flying from the brown haired man’s lips as the child moved out of him and into the waiting hands of the blond. When he had hold of this tiny child, he quickly severed the umbilical and rubbed the baby down with a towel, bringing the fluids out of its mouth and releasing the cry that had been blocked. The child was abnormally blue and as it cried out it’s frustration, the blue faded and a healthy pink color took its place.
Suddenly the house shook, and the world tilted on its axis. Jou grabbed a blanket and looked up at the concerned look on Seto’s face as the world attempted to readjust and overdid it, tilting the other way. The other babies resumed their cries, and as Jou rushed to them, the door flew open.
“Jounouchi, you have to get out of here!” Yugi screamed as he saw the blond.
“What?!” Jou called back, looking over at Seto in confusion.
“Now, take the babies and get out of Shadows. It’s their only hope,” he said, “Yami and I will make sure everybody else is okay, but only you can save the Dragons.” He cried, as he lifted the first child and handed him to Jou. The blond adjusted the two babies and Yugi reached for the third, settling it into the open areas and turning the blond away from the bed and toward a rift that was opening in the wall. “Go, and hurry. That’s the exit.” He shouted over the sound of crashing and the feel of the world moving under his feet. Jou turned his head once to see the look of trust on the face of the brunet before he stepped through the crack and into the world of real life.


I am sorry to end it there, but that is the only place I could find. It fit well too. The babies are here, and what was that last one, anyway? Oops forgot to tell you, huh? Perhaps you will be able to wait til the next chapter, huh??????