[R] Struggle of Birth

Shadow smiled at the pair, stepping backwards into Ilrune's arms. The demon gently rested his head on hers, wrapping his arms around her waist and watching the Kraferrs. She leant against him a little, happy for the pair.

Dominique turned to Shadow, smiling weakly. "Shadow..." she murmured, her body to tired to be able to be louder, "thank you... So much... For your help... I couldn't of done it without you."
"Of course you couldn't of," Bart teased, "I'm crap at biology and medicine. As far as I'm concerned, idiotic animals know more things than me."
Dominique giggled quietly, her hands shaking, "I'm... Tired..." she murmured, "but won't the babies be hungry, or... Something?"
"New," one squeaked. Bart's eyes widened, as he looked down at Thade.
"You just talked."
"Ya."
"This is going to be a long 18 years..."

Shadow chuckled quietly to herself.
"Demonic children can speak from birth. Their growth will be accelerated until the age of about 10, and then their growth slows down until they stop aging." She explained briefly. Although, she did agree with Bart. It was going to be a long 18 years for the pair.

"Is there anything else they have up their sleeve?" Bart asked, "I mean, I survived Dominique's demonic crisis, but what will happen to these two?" Bart wanted to know, as Dominique and he would be the ones who would mostly be next to their children, and that he still didn't have a complete knowledge of demons.

Shadow thought for a moment.
"I don't think there's anything else you need to know." She said. Ilrune smiled a little, tightening his grip a little.
"Thade and Phoebe?" He said questionningly. "THey are not names I have ever heard of for demonic offspring, but it is your choice."

"Well," Bart replied, "we're thinking of giving both of them some education. We don't know if we'll actually confirm their identity yet. Most probably not, and in that case we'll have to move to the seashore house that I was able to make. That's why I want to know for the demons. As for the names, Thade's kraferric-derived from Talde, and Pheobe -as well as being a human name- is also derived from the kraferric 'Felben'."

Shadow nodded at the pair.
"Well, we'd better go and let you get on with your two new protegees." She said, smiling. "All I can say is good luck, because looking at them now s probably as easy as it's going to get." The demoness couldn't help but chuckle a little to herself, Ilrune smiling as well.

Bart smirked back at Shadow. "Yeah," he quietly answered, "bah, I'm used to things being quite a challenge." Bart smiled. "Thanks, Shadow, for the help," Bart continued silently, "it's really great having you 'round here."
Dominique also smiled, sighing and readjusting her arms to make Phoebe more comfortable in her grasp.

Shadow smiled.
"Thanks," She said. "I'd come back and visit more often, but duties in Aspheri don't leave much time for that." Yeah, Ilrune keeps thinkng up ways to stop me from coming back here... She added silently to herself. The demoness leant back against the prince, content in just watching the two Kraferrs with their new offspring.

Bart turned over to Dominique, giving her Thade. She curled an arm around the boy, smiling at him as well. Bart stood up from the ground, turning to Shadow and smirking, as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, never thought this would happen though, a few months ago," Bart murmured, "kraferrs won't really be kraferrs anymore. The only possible way that the kraferrs actually survive as of now is evolving to be compatible with almost any similar species... Then it'll be just blood-transferring."

Shadow looked at the ground, not sure of what to say. Ilrune rested his chin on her head again, looking at Bart.
"Your blood will survive however." He stated. "Come, Shadow, it will do us no good to be hanging around with such low hybrids." He added, turning to leave.

Bart was taken aback by Ilrune's remark. He stepped up, lifting a fist, but Dominique interrupted him.
"Bart," she snapped. He stopped, glancing sideways at her. "Let them go," she finished. Bart lowered his fist, glaring at Ilrune and turning around to go sit on the ground next to Dominique. He put his elbows on his knees, and put his hands up to his face, glaring at Ilrune.

A look of shock registered on Shadow's face and she spun round on her heel, delivering a stinging slap to Ilrune's cheek for the second time.
"Bart has my blood in his veins!" She snarled. Ilrune's face had darkened from the shock of the impact. Both demons glared at each other with hostility.

"Hey!" Dominique hissed loudly, glaring at both of them. She scowled at the two, holding her children by her side. One of them stirred and tears seeped out of their eyes as it whimpered, scared. "If you're going to argue, it's out of here! I'm too tired to keep up with any of this, and, knowing you... I don't want the children to be in dangerous areas..."

Ilrune nodded sharply at Dominique. He grabbed Shadow's wrist, dragging the princess out of the room before teleporting the pair up to the roof. He spun to face her, grabbing her other wrist and holding them together, standing close enough to Shadow to stop her making an offensive move. The two demons locked gazes, glaring at each other.

Dominique, after having relaxed, tried to calm down Thade, embracing him in her arms. Bart stood up, head lowered. Without hesitation, he slowly walked over to the opened door, lifting one hand to push it fully open.
"Where are you going?" Dominique asked, fearing the worst. Bart turned his head to Dominique, flicking his hair out of his eyes.
"I... Don't know."

Shadow and Ilrune stood, gazes locked, for a few minutes.
"Let. Me. Go." Shadow snarled.
"No," Was the answer. Ilrune flicked his pale hair out of his eyes. "I'm not going to let you go back to those foul hybrids."

"I remember what happened last time when you told me that," Dominique answered quietly, staring at Bart. "... Do you remember, Bart?"
"...Yes," he replied lowly.
"You said the same thing when you counter-attacked the Lab, after you got me back here," Dominique answered, "tell me, Bart, I want to know... What are you going to do?..."
"I-"
"Please learn to stand, Bart..." Dominique murmured, her voice getting quieter, "please... You don't have to retaliate at everything that happens..."
"I'm not going to let him insult yo-"
"I told him he could go," Dominique answered, "he has reason to hate us. The first time you met him, you nearly killed each other, and I had to give a bad first-meeting by putting Shadow, his fiancée, in danger of death the same day. I can understand the loathing."
"You can understand it even after he has barely seen us in the past 6 months?" Bart snapped.

Ilrune's hand moved to Shadow's throat as she struggled.
"Calm down, now, you don't want to go demonic," He crooned softly. Shadow glared at him, wriggling a little before managing to deliver a sharp knee to the groin. The demon doubled up, releasing the demoness.
"Get out of here Ilrune, I don't want to see you within a mile's radius of the Kraferrs!" She commanded before running down the stairs.

"People sometimes hold grudges," Dominique answered calmly, "you can't do anything against them - it's just their way of being, and they won't change whether you do anything or not. Please don't make this day any worse for me..."
Bart tensed, but managed to relax his muscles and push the door until it was only ajar. He took a deep breath, sighing heavily, and turning back to the kraferrin.
"Sorry," Bart answered.
"Don't be," Dominique answered, "you were stressed out and nervous, which would happen to any man whilst his loved one is giving birth, whoever they are."
Bart nodded slowly. His ears picked up a sound from outside, and he flicked his head to its direction.
"What is it?" Dominique asked.
"Someone hurrying. I recognize the step pattern. Please just let me check."
Dominique gazed at Bart. "You can go, but, promise me first," Dominique spoke, "promise me that you won't do anything dangerous."
Bart stepped over to Dominique, softly kissing her on the forehead, and smirking. "I promise." With that, Bart stepped out of the room, turning to see outside of the flat. There, he saw Shadow.

Shadow's eyes had changed into her demonic orbs. She was looking up the stairs, snarling something in demonic. Ilrune ignored the warnings, walking calmly down the stairs. He squeezed his hand around her throat again until the demoness blew him back with her magic. She snarled something again. The other demon vanished, teleporting abruptly.

Bart's eyes widened as he saw the quarrel between the two half-demons. Not having time to react as he was in his human shape, he dashed as fast as he could up the stairs. But he was too late and Ilrune had already disappeared. Bart grabbed Shadow by the stomach, pulling her down to the flat, and he snapped his fingers, sending dark magic to seal the door. A great, ornamented lock appeared in front of the door, binding the two parts together. Purple tuffs of fur sprouted from Bart's skin in the most vicious way, as well as lengthening his nails into claws. Blood started seeping out of invisible wounds from his arm, but he ignored the pain. He turned to look at Shadow.
"Hey," he spoke to her calmly, "Shadow, please calm down... We don't want anything to happen here..."

Shadow closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. She opened her eyes, looking at Bart with a violet gaze.
"I'm fine, Bart," She said, running a hand through her hair. "Sorry, things are a little tense with Ilrune at the moment." She took a deep breath again, calming herself completely.

"It's all right," Bart answered, clutching a hand on his arm as if trying to hide it. "Ow - I need to learn to stop doing that..." Bart turned his eyes over to Dominique's room, and he walked over to it, clenching the fist of his wounded arm into a fist. Black blood dropped from his arm onto the floor, steaming and disappearing in a touch of smoke as it landed on the ground.
He opened the door to the room, hiding his wounded arm. Dominique was there, holding the children.

Shadow's eyes grew concerned. She placed a hand on Bart's shoulder, pulling him back out of the room before gently reaching out a hand to run her fingers over his injured arm.
"What happened?" She asked softly. She pulled a cloth out of the small pouch on her waist and pressing it against the wound in an attempt to stem the blood flow.