The Last Night of Sadness (Ended!)

[carcinoGeneticist]

((Sera, if you read this before I get a chance to talk to you and you have some time... I'd love if you could slip into this one, too <3))

It had been much harder this time, and the sparrow had been taken with illness once it was over.

She lay in a bed, cradling her egg tightly, eyes closed as her daughters moved quietly around her, one of them bringing her a tray with toast and water on it, in an effort to bring up her strength, to break the fever that had her so tightly in its grips. In all of her pain, she kept the single egg close to herself, heating it with her body.

She was its mother, and she knew that something was wrong.

It hatched in the night, when a feline nurse was paying the woman a visit. Calia was sound asleep, and the nurse had helped coax the child from the egg. Calia's eyes fluttered open at the sound of a quiet mewling, and a delicate smile crossed her face.

It was alive, her baby was alive...

Then the nurse was rushing her away, pulling a blanket around the little baby's face, hiding her from the world. The look of shame on the woman's face told the sparrow everything, and she sat up abruptly. The woman was saying something, promising that no one would know about the child and that she could take care of it. She said that they would just say that the little disgrace had died during birth, and no shame would come of that.

Calia screamed as only an enraged mother can, lunging forward and wrenching the bundle from the other woman's arms, her feathers fanning out protectively. There was a fire in her eyes as she stared at the nurse, every feather on her body fanned as she stared down the other woman. The little bundle in her arms whimpered and mewled, crying out for something to eat.

"You need to leave. Now.[/b]" She told the nurse, voice completely level and calm with her fury. As the other woman rushed out of the room, Calia leaned back, smiling at the infant in her arms. So tiny, so little, so...

Her eyes focused on the tiny black mark on her chest, widening in shock, and she pulled the baby close with a tiny whimper. Oh, oh god, this... This couldn't be happening...

[Kari Muffin]

He was still in his human form as he walked down the halls. Theofilus was frustrated as the nurse lead him to Calia's room. She was telling him nothing. Was Calia still ill? Had something happened to the baby? Everyone was staying tight lipped about this, and where was Kelasia? So many questions that had no answers.

The nurse looked down at the floor as she opened the door to Calia's room. Theofilus' brow furrowed as he stepped through the entryway. Was this what his power had been warning him about? The chill in the bit of his stomach told him otherwise. The air in the room felt worse.

"What's wrong?" Theofilus asked looking to the nurse who had retreated to the corner. He looked to Calia who refused to meet his gaze. "Please just tell me what's going on." He wanted to know what had happened. Calia still looked ill... something horrible happened didn't it?

[carcinoGeneticist]

Calia's eyes remained fixated against the wall as she slowly rocked herself and the infant, gaze blank. Not a feather twitched at Theofilus's entrance, and her gaze did not waver from their locked position on the wall. She was trembling slightly, and the little bundle that she was clutching to herself began to cry with the desire for attention.

That little noise seemed to snap Calia out of her fixated state, and with a small shudder she looked up at the man she loved. "I'm so sorry, Theofilus.[/b]" the words were barely a whisper, and she looked down at the bundle in her arms. It squirmed and wriggled as it should, nosing around until it found a finger, which it began to suckle with some desperation.

"There's something wrong with her.[/b]" She said, looking away from him and pulling the infant even closer to herself. "I'll take her back to the Forest. I swear, she doesn't need to interfere with your success.[/b]" the words sounded heavy and thick in her mouth, almost unbelievable. She was terrified, but she knew she would need to leave. Her other children were grown, and she just... She couldn't let the nurse, that hateful woman, take her baby. Her little girl.

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus stared at Calia. What was she talking about? Why was she so horrified like that? "What are you talking about, Calia? What's wrong? Please tell me what's wrong?"

The man moved a few steps closer. He didn't want to invade her space when she was like this? He inhaled sharply at the thought of her still being ill. No one had told him anything in the past weeks. It was as if he was dealing with a living nightmare.

And how could a child interfere with his success? What was wrong? "I would be crushed if you left me, you know that Calia. And what about your job? Please... tell me what's wrong Calia." Theofilus was at a complete loss. He had no idea what he should do in a situation like this. Everything had gone right with his other children. This... this wasn't his child directly because she was still part of the family.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Calia slowly raised her head to look Theofilus directly, a deep sadness evident in her eyes. Her beak opened slightly, as if she was going to speak, then closed again. Calia had always been extremely careful with her words, and even with the emotional turmoil that was going through her mind this did not change. The thoughts that were rushing through her head were completely jumbled, and she shook her head to try and organize them, at least somewhat.

It didn't help, of course. She felt much more healthy, and she was relieved to feel the little creature squirming eagerly in her grasp. But there was still that troubling matter that kept her from looking at it for too long.

Why did it have to happen now?

"There's... she's...[/b]" Oh, lord. Now she was fumbling with her words, and she leaned closer to the man, extending the blanket and the tiny infant cradled within it. It, she, gave a tiny mewl as she felt the warmth of another body, moving into it eagerly, tiny limbs all waving with the uncoordinated charm of an infant. Calia fought back the urge to run, to scream, to vomit, as she waited for the man to take the child. It wasn't his child, wasn't his responsibility. But she had to trust him with the little girl. "There's something wrong with her. She's...[/b]" the words wouldn't come, and the sparrow fell silent. He would realize it soon enough.

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus took the child without hesitation. She squirmed in his arms, the covers still around her rather tightly. Odd. He looked down at the child in his arms. A skunk, a mixed region. He loosened the blankets a bit so she could move better.

His eyes fell on the symbol. A letter "A" was on her chest. His heart skipped a beat as his eyes widened. Oh no. This was what his power had been trying to tell him, hadn't it? And there was something else...? But he couldn't just stand there and stare. Theofilus let out a sigh as he cradled the child. "She's beautiful," he whispered.

He didn't particularly care that she was an Ace. There was something else wrong. When the baby fluttered her eyes open every so often they didn't look... right. "Calia is she... is she blind?" Theofilus' eyes widened at the clouded eyes. What was the future going to be like for this poor girl?

[carcinoGeneticist]

As Theofilus lifted the infant, Calia's expression flickered to one of worry. The blanket fell aside from her chest, and the sparrow could feel her heart stop beating. What could he, a Queen of Diamonds, say? It wasn't his child, so he could just let Calia leave with her... She could tell whoever asked that it was her fault, that she couldn't blame him for asking them to leave. It tore her open to even imagine the possibility of leaving him, but if he asked she would not hesitate to head back for Kahmden.

His words snapped her out of her dream-like state, and she blinked at him. "She is.[/b]" The colors blended across her body in wonderful ways, a perfect mix of the two realm's delicate shades. A sad little smile crossed her face, and she slowly reached out to touch the little creature. The skunk cried out at the touch, moving eagerly into it. So sweet, so gentle... Calia's heart ached with it. Theofilus had always been observant, and he had noticed the one thing that worried her even more than the black symbol marring her chest. She sniffed softly, pulling the hand away to wipe her eyes.

"I think she is,[/b]" the woman whispered. The words felt harsh, and to her ears sounded almost like a kind of death sentence. A blind Ace had so little chance in the world, but she needed to accept the facts. "You see it too..? Her eyes look so strange, and she doesn't seem to focus on anything...[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus sighed and closed his eyes. This was terrible, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He wanted to fix this, but its not like it was in his power. He could at least focus on the bright things. "Have you thought of a name yet?"

Really, calling her "she" for much longer wouldn't do. Calia probably thought of a name already, she was a mother after all. And of all the children Theofilus only gave Ezekiel his name out of tradition. That didn't go as smoothly as he would have hoped. Calia was a bit better at the naming thing. The children couldn't really argue with short names after all.

That and avoiding the pressing subject at hand was probably the best idea. Or at least the easiest idea for Theofilus to cope. An Ace. A blind Ace was in his arms. Did the girl have a future? Was it possible for her to be happy?

[carcinoGeneticist]

Calia's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. She had considered a name, but it still seemed like such a silly idea... She couldn't help it, though. The moment she had looked at the infant, really looked at her, it was what had stuck into her mind. She reached out to take the baby girl once more, looking at Theofilus with the closest thing to a smile as she could possibly muster. "Well... I have a thought.[/b]" The brightly colored skunk had worked her forelimbs out of the bundle and was pawing at Theofilus's face with some curiosity, feeling his smooth skin and letting out a small delighted sound.

Calia laughed at the sight, man and helpless baby, one completely unaware of the trouble which surrounded her birth. It even seemed as if she had already decided that she liked this man quite a bit. "I think her name is Asha.[/b]" Calia finally spoke, slowly stroking the little skunk's head, then reaching up and letting her hand caress Theofilus's face. With the sorrow that filled the room, the gesture seemed odd, still caring, but lacking something important. She had intended to comfort the poor man, but her own emotions were getting in the way. She was terrified for her baby. "I saw it in one of your books.[/b]"

[Kari Muffin]

Theofilus kissed the infant on the head when she escaped from her bundle. What an adorable little girl. The man almost shuddered when he felt Calia's hand on his face. Something was missing, he knew it. It was just an empty gesture.

"It means hope you know. Asha." He looked down at the girl in his arms. "It fits her. It's perfect. Not like I could argue with you anyway." He looked at Calia. He was hiding so much from her about everything. He didn't want to tell her things now, even if it was a good idea or not. He just wanted it to always be a secret, even if it was unhealthy.

"I told you once in passing that my brother was an Ace. I never told you the whole story because, well... I was and still am terrified of the story myself." He offered Asha to Calia, she seemed to need to hold her. "But I probably should tell you the story, and now seems like the time."