The wedding had taken place on a warm summer morning. The temple had been finished, and was ready to host the lovely ceremony. Nykka attended, as did Bharadei and Baal. Forneus managed to make it, though she had to leave her large cart just outside the cult gates. Even Ratau and his small group of friends came to join in the celebrations. The atmosphere that day was lively, and bright. Mir̃alai was elated, emitting a glow challenged only by the sun itself. Aurelia had sewn together a set of beautiful ceremonial robes for the couple to wear. The bride was a sight to behold in the pretty white and red robes. The temple was filled with a warm atmosphere during the ceremony. Most in attendance could not contain their happiness, and it escaped in the form of tears. The sweet Lamb could hardly speak her vows through her joyous tears. When the ceremony had come to its end, the grounds erupted into a party the likes of which it had never seen. A massive buffet had been prepared, plenty of food ready to serve the many hungry guests in attendance.

Aym had his arm over Mir̃alai's shoulders as he spoke to Baal and Bharadei, he had to talk loudly to be heard over the mass amount of chatter around them. His conversation was interrupted by an old rat who had appeared with a smile on his face. Mir̃alai turned her attention to the disheveled man with a grin.

"I am so happy you could come, Ratau! It is lovely to see you again."

"Aha, lovely indeed." He chuckled, "I hoped you would not my coming uninvited. Klunko got wind of the ceremony, and I could not resist."

"Of course not." She giggled, "You were my first friend after my sacrifice, I have not forgotten. How are you?"

"Ah, as well as one could expect at my age!" He laughed. "I drug my weary bones here, that is proof enough for my health."

"That is good to hear." She smiled sweetly. "I've been meaning to visit you, I've just been so very busy." Ratau grinned and motioned vaguely around the large cult grounds.

"So I see! Your progress amazes me still, Mir̃alai! You have surpassed my efforts tenfold. Truly, you are a wonder to behold."

"Thank you, Ratau. That means a lot to me." She smiled.

"Ah, I nearly forgot!" He grinned and motioned back to Klunko, Flinky, and Shrumy. They were watching him with impatience. The grumpy turtle had a banjo in their hands. "We wanted your permission to play! This celebration calls for music, I think."

"Oh! That sounds wonderful, Ratau. Yes, of course."

"Perfect!" He grinned and turned back to the others, "She said yes!" He called out to them. Without further adieu, the trio placed themselves in front of Mir̃alai's shrine and waited for Ratau to join. Klunko took a fiddle out of his bag and handed it off to the rat. The Followers nearby stopped their chatter to watch with grins on their faces. Ratau began playing an upbeat bluegrass song, Shrumy joined moments later with their banjo. The tune was matched well by Klunko on his harmonica, who played very well considering he only had one hand. Flinky used his rattle as a sort of tambourine. The Followers cheered and before long, all within earshot of the music began to dance joyfully. Mir̃alai was watching with a grin when Aym got her attention. He offered her his hand, smiling down at her.

"Care to dance?" The Lamb blushed, but nodded with that ever-present smile. She took his hand and led her towards the shrine, the Followers around them making way so the couple could have room to dance. They were soon joined by Baal and Bharadei, then Attiscesus and Aurelia. Forneus sat nearby, the great cat laughing and clapping along to the beat. Within minutes, it seemed every creature on the cult ground was dancing and rejoicing. It was a wonderful celebration, and it lasted well into the night.

As summer drew to a close, Mir̃alai was very close to her due date. According to Nykka, she was bound to go into labor any day. As a precaution, Caxton was made to sleep in the main room of their home behind the temple. So he would be close by if her labor came in the night. He had no objections of course, and was more than willing to assist in any way he could. It was a particularly warm night, and Aym had woken due to Mir̃alai's consistent shifts in the bed. He was used to her tossing and turning lately, as large as her belly had gotten, it was no surprise she struggled to get in a comfortable position. This time was different though, her movements were practically constant. When he heard a stifled grunt escape her, he sat up in concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Mostly…" She admitted with a weak laugh. Aym shifted to light the candle on his bedside table so he could see her properly. She definitely looked to be in pain, wincing a bit as she rested her hands under her stomach in an attempt to relieve her pain. "I'm- I'm in labor." Aym was about to question her, but was instantly reassured when his hand grazed the wet spot that had appeared between them sometime in the night. Horrified, he jumped out of bed, and rushed out of the bedroom.

"Caxton!" He yelled into the living room. The rabbit popped up immediately, his head snapping to look at Aym.

"What?!"

"She's in labor, get Nykka." Without hesitation, he got off the couch and dashed out the door. They picked Caxton for good reason, he was the fastest Follower on the grounds. The rabbit could run faster than even Aym was able to. Knowing that Nykka would be with them in minutes, Aym returned to his lover's bedside. She appeared to be in extraordinary pain by the time he returned.

"How far apart are they?" Aym asked as he began to quickly move things away from the bed so Nykka would have full access to her.

"Ah, three minutes."

"What?! Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"It- It wasn't that bad yet! I didn't want to bother you so early."

"You are too stubborn…" He took her hand, and winced a little when she gripped it with great intensity.

"It's been going on for-!" She stopped to yell in pain, unable to complete her sentence until her contraction let up. "For hours!" She panted. "You and Nykka would have just been sitting around waiting." Aym shook his head, but did not argue with her as it would only cause her further distress. As he expected, a golden light flashed in the next room within minutes. Nykka stepped in, Caxton just behind her.

"Oh my, Caxton, please get water and towels." The rabbit nodded and ran out of the room to do as he was instructed. Nykka slipped off her robes, tossing them aside so they wouldn't get in her way. Her short-sleeved chemise gave her much more freedom to work. "How far apart are the contractions?" She asked as she sat on the bed and guided Mir̃alai into a better position. The Lamb could not bring herself to answer, as she had been once again racked with pain.

"About three minutes." Aym answered on her behalf.

"Three minutes?!" Nykka asked in surprise. Aym nodded.

"I've already scolded her for trying to hide it." Nykka sighed and moved to examine Mir̃alai and see how dilated she was. When she pulled her hand away, she nodded.

"Yes, it's nearly time for her to push. We'll start when Caxton gets back." Mir̃alai was in between contractions, panting heavily. She glanced at Aym and he could see the fear in her eyes. He leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"You'll be alright, love. We won't let anything happen to you." He assured her. She made a poor attempt at a smile.

"Remember to breathe, Mir̃alai, alright? Not just for yourself, but for them. They're still relying on you in there." The expectant mother nodded feebly, forcing herself to breath despite her pain. Caxton returned and set a large bucket of water down. He placed the towels on the end of the bed, being careful not to look at Mir̃alai who was very exposed. "Are you ready, dear?" Nykka asked once the hare was out of the way.

"I- I guess…" She huffed, squeezing Aym's hand tight.

"Okay, during your next contraction, and on the count of three, I want you to push as hard as you can." Mir̃alai nodded feebly, taking a few deep breaths in preparation. Moments later, she squeezed her husband's hand in a death grip, releasing a yell of pain. Nykka nodded, "One, two, three, push…!" With this, the Lamb winced and pushed. Nykka encouraged her to keep it up for a few, long seconds. "Okay…! That was good, Mir̃alai." She praised the Lamb who was whining and panting, her legs quivering. "Breathe, dear, breathe. We're going to go again in a moment." Tears were slipping down Mir̃alai's cheeks as she panted, trying desperately to catch her breath beyond her pain. When the next contraction hit, Nykka counted down again. "One, two, three, push!" Mir̃alai pushed again, yelling in agony. The sound was enough to break Aym's heart, but he kept a calm composure. "Great! We're crowning now, almost there. Get ready, Caxton." She looked to the rabbit who had already been informed on his role. He readied the first set of towels, one wet and one dry. Before Mir̃alai could fully recover from her last contraction, she was already onto her next. Nykka conducted her just as she had for the last two. The Lamb pushed furiously, by this point Aym was sure his hand was well beyond bruised. The pain was the last of his worries, he was far more concerned with the blood that had pooled on the bedding below Mir̃alai. Nykka glanced at him and gave him a short, reassuring smile. He relaxed a little as the Bishop's hands began to glow. He thought it best not to mention this to Mir̃alai who was already struggling greatly. "One more, Mir̃alai, the first will be out soon."

"I- I can't…!" The Lamb sobbed, wincing hard.

"You can do this, love. You're almost there." Aym assured her, using his free hand to rub her forearm in an attempt to soothe her.

"One, two, three, push!" Nykka orchestrated. Mir̃alai screamed louder than ever as she pushed. "Keep going!" Nykka insisted. Moments later, Mir̃alai released a great sigh in slight relief just as their first child appeared in Nykka's hands. "Okay, one more push for the afterbirth, this part is easy, I promise." Mir̃alai nodded weakly and gave another push when she was directed. Once the placenta had been delivered, she handed the baby to Caxton. The rabbit was very gentle as he cleaned the child, rubbing them down. "You'll have a few minutes before the second, try to catch your breath." The infant began to wail, a signal it was time to cut the umbilical cord. Nykka used spider's silk to tie off the cord in two places before handing Aym a clean, sharp dagger. "It's time." He nodded and Mir̃alai released him so he could do the deed. He stood to approach his first child, she was an adorable mix between lamb and cat. She had a cat's face and ears, along with a tail, but her black fur had a wooly appearance, and she had hooved feet like her mother's. Aym carefully cut the umbilical where Nykka indicated him too. Once free of the tie, Caxton was able to swaddle the baby. Aym had been called back to Mir̃alai's side when she let out another scream, their second child apparently ready to make their appearance. Nykka had quickly washed herself up, and disposed of the afterbirth. She returned to her place to conduct Mir̃alai through the next round of pushing.

The second child came much easier thanks to their first paving the way, so to speak. When all was said and done, they had two beautiful, healthy twin girls. After their second was clean and swaddled, Caxton carefully handed an infant to each of the parents who sat side by side. Mir̃alai was still out of breath, but smiled tearfully down at her daughter.

"Oh, they're precious." She smiled, looking at Aym who had been in a stunned silence for quite some time. "What should we name them?"

"How about Merida and Lydie?" He suggested, the names had come to him in an instant. He thought it would be nice to name them after his beloved's lost family. She was clearly moved by the suggestion, resting her head on his shoulder with a sniffle.

"That's… That's a wonderful idea. I love you…"

"I love you too." He smiled and kissed her head. Nykka smiled at the sweet moment, she had been busy healing the damage inflicted on Mir̃alai during the birth. She sat up and took a wet towel from Caxton to clean her hands.

"Your family?" She guessed. Mir̃alai nodded, smiling warmly at Nykka.

"Thank you, Nykka. For everything."

"It was no trouble." She grinned, "You should be well enough to move around again within a day's time. I've healed all the tearing, thanks to that, the only issue you'll have is muscle aches, and perhaps some weakness from blood loss. You did hemorrhage, but I caught it early and was able to correct it before any real damage was done."

"Thank you again. I don't want to think about how this could have gone without your help."

"Best not to consider it, I am more than happy to help you, dear." Nykka smiled. "When you're feeling ready to stand, we can change the bedding for you so you can get some rest."