The winds began to pick up. Not unusual for our new home, but the anxiety in my bones kept me on my toes. And that's how it was for another two months.
Tsu'tey had come to call our unborn child "Hì'i Tanhì" little star. I can't go up the spiral of mehutral with how heavy I've become. Max keeps insisting that he can help me determine the gender but I made it utterly clear that it's going to be a surprise.
The heavy, warm feeling in me is our child. And that's almost terrifying. But with my clan here to support me, I don't need much else. The unease of months ago has faded into a gentle joy.
"You look tired." Tsu'tey whispered. We where sat before the setting sun, the gorgeous colors of pink, orange, and gold, painted our sky for a gentle end to the day.
"We all have worked hard to feel content." I took a deep breath in to savor the feeling, "and now we are." The moss under my fingers began to glow as the sun dissolved away for the other moons and the glowing Polyphemus to appear boldly in the dark sky.
"Before the battle, life was just trouble. I haven't known peace since Grace's school." He agreed.
————————
When we eventually fell asleep, mid dream, I shook myself awake. My body was on high alert. I thought it was just sciatic pain from the growing in my abdomen.
As I went about my day, the pain was consistent and noticeable. It didn't go away, and in fact, got stronger until I thought I pissed myself.
Thankfully it wasn't piss. But this wasn't fun either.
Tsu'tey was the first to notice, I remember the frightened expression on his face. He didn't make a great deal of it and instead helped me settle into our hut. Moments that felt like hours later, he had brought three healers back with him. And now we waited for the dilation to be big enough for the baby to pass through.
Tsu'tey re-adjusted the pillows behind my back to get me into a comfortable sitting position. Since chairs for birthing aren't an option(since they don't exist to the Na'vi), I had to do this like most women before the modern age.
Minutes turned into hours and I didn't think it would ever happen.
Finally, after hours of excruciating pain while wanting to push, I was given the command.
"You can begin now." She spoke. And with the next painful contraction, I pushed. And this, so far was the easiest part. Pushing, I can do. But holding in a child to maximize their chance of survival while enduring contractions like my worst period cramps, not okay.
———Tsu'tey POV———
Witnessing your loved one in great pain is unbearable. I can't even imagine the kind of pain she must be feeling. Her grip is crushing my hand.
That doesn't matter, I need to focus on her. She's the one doing all the hard work. She squished my hand as the healer asks her to push, the baby's head is beginning to show.
Of course, they had checked the position of the baby before hand, so that the birth would be smoother than most. The child's head had emerged, and they began to crowd Heyla to support the head as another push was made and suffered. I thought I might faint, the smell of blood, the screams of my mate. It's all happening quickly.
Another contraction had passed, "is it over with yet?" She asked with a grim smile and tired exhausted eyes. I'm glad she's still somewhat positive and not just writhing in pain.
"We've met the shoulders, it's not long now."
"Eywa help me." She said exhaustedly. It wasn't long before the fluids where wiped away from the babies face to bring about our child's first breath in our world. "You have a little girl." Mo'at announced happily from next to the healer. I had not noticed her join us, but she handed our little girl to Heyla for the baby to begin feeding. So hungry, so small.
I helped unwedge my Tanhì's tswin from behind her to join them with the delicate pink fibers at the end of her kuru.
————our POV————
As her queue latched onto mine, I felt the sensation of irritation of the coolness of the new world she's in, but beautiful curiosity that I haven't felt since I was a child.
"What name in all the world is worthy of such a beautiful creature like you?" I heard myself whisper to the small child.
"She's as beautiful as you, my love." Tsu'tey whispered. We where awestruck.
Suddenly, another sharp contraction rippled through my abdomen. Looks like the suspicions were right.
Max burst in in his newly made avatar, unannounced.
"I've never seen a Na'vi birth can I please take notes!" He begged in words faster than the rap god Eminem could spit.
"No! No- you know what, fine, if it'll help educate, but you'll have to censor a lot of the audio." I hissed. The pain was growing, I had to hand our daughter to Tsu'tey quickly so he could bond with her, make sure that she's reassured that she's safe.
He held her gingerly and secured in his arms, safe. I looked over at them while we waited once again, my beautiful daughter wiggled her limbs at the new sensation of a shawl being wrapped around her sensitive skin. The shawl is like a thin veil made from the glow worm silks. A fitting first cloth for our child.
I'm sure everyone's ears were ringing from my sharp groans and shouts of pain, but everyone seemed content and fine until the second baby's head showed.
"Twins huh? Unlucky my pa-"
"If you continue to speak, I will make sure that you and Neytiri can't have more children!" I hissed faster than I could stop. The shoulders where beginning to slide out, the burning sensation heightened my irritation.
And all of the world stopped still as my second born began to cry their first cries.
"You have a boy." Mo'at smiled. She cleaned off the amniotic fluids and handed me my clothed son. His fussing ceased as he was placed into my arms, the bond, once again, flooded her mind, but with fiery rage at his birth, he was not happy with it being cold and what he understood to be wet. But he was content with the warmth of his mother, and I'm a mother!
Soon, everyone left us to relax, and Tsu'tey and I traded the twins so that our second born would meet their father.
"What names would suit our beautiful children?" I asked first. Tsu'tey pondered for a while.
"Sìlwey te Rongloa Tsu'tey'itan. I think that suits our son." He said after a long thought.
For a while, I had been thinking of names, but looking down at my daughter now, I can't form the words.
"How about... Hona'u te Rongloa Heyla'ite?" They fussed in their slumber while we agreed on the names we had chosen for our children.
This new beginning, was turning out to be beautiful.
