Pocahontas can see that Haku trusted all those people and allowed Logan and Jason to carry her in a two-handed seat carry.
Haku was close by to make sure there was nothing in their way to cause a fall or anything else to the boys, and Emma was impressed of his dedication. It's hard to believe that Haku is the explosions/demolitionist man of the team, but ever since between missions, Haku has become a healer, having been a quick learner, thanks to medic training back in the day and lessons with either magical or non-magical healers like Dr. Sweet.
With the rest of the rebels and other members of the United Talons helping the other freed people to their feet or whatever, the way to the nearest cave tunnel was mostly smooth, and as soon as they are deep enough, they took torches to light the way, and slowed down for the sake of not overexerting the freed people.
Having sensed that its mother is now safe and free, and that there's no more danger from the mean people outside the womb, the baby decided to make itself known to the world by contractions and labor pains.
"Ooo...", Pocahontas moaned as she felt the pain. "Oh, jeez, already?", Logan asked as Haku got close.
"Looks like it, the baby probably somehow knew it was going to be okay...", Haku replied. "Or could hear it. It's got ears for sure now...", Jason reminded.
Haku nodded, "That means the baby is big enough to survive the birth, thank goodness. It's only the first contraction. It will be a while before her water breaks. How are you feeling, Pocahontas?".
As the contraction passed, Pocahontas looked at Haku, "Do you think I can eat some food? If you say that it would take a while, I will need the strength to push when it's time.".
"Don't worry, we'll make sure you get more than plenty when we finally reach the camp.", Haku assured her as she gave him a warm smile. "Thank you.", Pocahontas told him.
"Just doing my job.", Haku responded back with a smile of his own. Emma called out, "Let's keep moving!", and they continued on, making it to the ruins under an hour, with Pocahontas wincing from contractions every 10 minutes.
Shere Khan announced, "We're home, everyone! And just in time for lunch too!", seeing heaps of people lining up for the big pot of stew.
Haku nodded, "Boys, have Pocahontas sit by the wall.", and the brothers nodded, gently placing Pocahontas down on a soft pallet of dried grass. Bagheera came forward with extra bowls of stew, "We have heard from Timon and Pumbaa that we got more people including you, ma'am. Here's some food.".
Pocahontas smiled genuinely, "Thank you, sir.", as Bagheera handed the extra bowls to her and Haku and Haku nodded, "Thanks, Bagheera. Appreciate it. Could you prepare a room for Pocahontas? She needs a quiet place to bring life into the world.".
Bagheera nodded, "There's always an empty room somewhere in the ruins. I'll check for you.", and Haku smiled gratefully. He started to eat as he glanced at Pocahontas, "It's a bit hot. Be careful, Pocahontas.".
"I'll be alright... after everything that's happened, a little discomfort isn't going to bother me.", Pocahontas said with a little chuckle.
"She says that now...", Emma pointed out with a playful roll of her eyes. "Well, she'll have it different than you did, Em. For starters, she's probably only having one rather than five.", John joked.
Pocahontas widened her eyes in amazement, "You have five children?", and Emma smiled softly, "Indeed. I am a dragon shapeshifter, so I went as dragon to give birth, and they were eggs in the first place, with an exception.", with a bitter sigh.
John nodded, "The last child, technically firstborn, his shell was broken during labor, and I saved our son as our residential magical healer saved Emma from blood loss and injury.".
Pocahontas replied, "It must have been frightening.", and Emma smiled, "It was, but when our son was in view, I knew it was worth it...That first cry of life, it makes anyone's heart happy. And when our other children hatched, I felt complete, to see them play and learn how to be themselves, the future became more brighter, like a sunrise at the end of the night.".
Pocahontas smiled genuinely, hearing Emma's words, seeing them as truth, and took a bite of her stew before sighing, "I'm scared, honestly. I failed my people, my father, my culture, John Smith, and now...I might be failing in being a mother...I risked so much danger for the baby...".
"Ah, come on, don't talk like that... you'll be a great mother... you must be for your people; you hold future generations in you.", Emma tried to help her.
"Em, might be a bit too much to put at her feet already there.", John whispered to her as that might just make things worse.
Emma winced lightly as Haku patted Pocahontas's hand, "Emma is right about one thing. John Smith believed in you, so you must not let him down for this baby is part of him, a gift he gave to you. He would want you to be happy, to give this baby a future, a place where he/she could be their own person.".
Pocahontas gave a small nod. She obviously had her doubts still, but Haku was right about what he said to her, "Right... I'll... I'll try to keep that in mind.".
Haku smiled, "That's what I like to hear.", and Pocahontas started to smile, realizing that Haku and his friends isn't giving up on her.
Between contractions and bites of the stew, Pocahontas managed to have a conversation of other things for another hour before it became too difficult to hold into the bowl, the contractions increasing as her water broke.
"I think that was it...", Pocahontas muttered as Haku checked. "Yeah... yeah, your water definitely broke there. It's happening, people.", Haku said to the group.
Logan and Jason looked up, "Want us to carry her again?", and Haku shook, "Not right now as she needs to walk, and walking stretches the birth canal, making it easier for her to be dilated faster than being carried and laying down the next few minutes, but still, be close in case.".
Bagheera ran over, "I found the perfect room for Pocahontas. I can lead the way.". The group moved with her as fast, but as careful as they could as to not cause any issues. They soon reached the room Bagheera prepared for them before she was gently laid down on some soft pelts that were around.
Pocahontas whimpered and gasped as the pain of the faster contractions were overwhelming her, and Haku looked at the group, "You better get out, all of you, and one of you, get Nakoma, she is familiar, and she will comfort Pocahontas, along with some hot water and towels.", his healer tone now strongly fierce in his voice.
"Alright, we get it.", Logan nodded as he helped move the others out; only to quickly return back with Nakoma as well as the items that Haku asked for.
"Okay, this should help by quite a bit, but you'll still have a lot of pain and effort to work through.", Haku explained to her.
Pocahontas looked at Haku as Nakoma took to rest near her, "How far am I?", and Haku checked, "Halfway. Be patient. Breathe, just breathe between contractions.".
Pocahontas gave a small nod as she kept breathing. If she was already halfway through, then that was a very good sign of things. "Okay... just... it hurts...", she whined.
"I know, I mean, I'm sure it does...", Haku doubled back there since he would never truly experience what she was going through but wanted to keep her spirts up and try to get her through the difficult labor.
Nakoma spoke reassuringly to Pocahontas in their native language as she stroked Pocahontas's forehead with a warm towel, and Haku couldn't understand, but he could see the body language and emotions.
For the next 30 minutes, Pocahontas breathed between contractions, drinking bits of water, and cried out at the pain when it's an especially intense one, with Haku checking every five minutes.
Then Pocahontas felt something change, "The baby, it's moving.", and Haku checked, "Yes, you are fully dilated, Pocahontas. Now, push when there's a contraction. You can do this.".
Pocahontas gave another nod as she closed her eyes tight from the pain as she was feeling her child slowly starting to push out of her. It was just as much wanting to get out of her as she wanted it to.
Pocahontas grunted as she pushed and pushed upon every contraction, feeling her child move through her for the next several minutes, and Haku smiled, "It's coming, it's peeking. Push, Pocahontas!".
Pocahontas clenched into Nakoma's hand as she spoke to her with an encouraging smile in their native language, and pushed, shouting as the pain of her walls stretching to fit her baby's head is felt.
Haku laughed, "Come on, little one!", seeing the head coming through slowly, and Pocahontas panted heavily, "It burns!", tears at the corners of her eyes, sobbing, "I'm scared!".
Haku frowned, and reached to grab her free hand from the pelts, putting it on the baby's head, which is halfway out, "Feel that? It's your baby's hair.", with a soft smile.
"Come on...", Haku added as he held her hand tight. "You're almost there, Pocahontas... just the shoulders and the little one will come right out, I promise.".
Pocahontas sobbed lightly as she felt her baby's hair, already so soft and tiny like peach fuzz, and looked at Haku, nodding, "Okay.".
Haku smiled, "You can do this.", and Pocahontas exhaled, putting her hand back to clench into the pelts while her other hand holding tightly into Nakoma's hand, and took a deep breath, and pushed, shouting with tears flying as the pain intensified as the baby moved out.
Haku grabbed a soft towel, cradled the baby's head, "Head's out, keep going!", and Pocahontas pushed again, sobbing as the shoulders stretched her walls, screaming out as Haku gently popped one shoulder out, and the next shoulder in another minute, and the body followed through.
Instantly cleaning the mucus and blood from the baby's nose and mouth, Haku rubbed the back, and the baby cried out, squirming and shivering, Haku announced, "It's a boy!", checking the genitals as he took a warm wet towel to clean the baby.
Pocahontas gave a small sigh of relief as the ordeal was finally over for her. At least the pain and suffering she had to go through with the labor was over; the pain of all the losses still was another thing.
"You alright?", Haku asked her as she gave a small nod. "I think... I think I'll be alright...", Pocahontas said.
"Well, at least from my view, you should recover from the ordeal; doesn't appear to be any sort of post birth issues so far.", Haku smiled warmly with a nod.
Pocahontas looked at the baby at Haku's side, "He's healthy?", and Haku smiled, finished cleaning the baby, "Why don't you see for yourself?", murmuring gently to the baby boy, "It's okay, little one, your momma's here.", warmly placing the loosely wrapped squirming baby on Pocahontas's chest as her arms instinctively held him.
Pocahontas herself was taken back in awe, disbelief, shock as she looked at her son, the fuzzy hair on his little head a light brown color, the skin a cream tone, having John Smith's nose and her father's smile, blinking bright brown eyes with sky blue speckles in them, and Pocahontas fell in love instantly, crying softly as she saw the perfect name for him, "Koda, my little Koda.".
"Fitting name...", Haku gave her a small smile. Koda lost his mother from where he heard that name before, but in this world, his father. "But yes, it appears Koda's also fairly healthy... just hungry at the moment.".
As to prove that Haku's right, Koda gave out hungry whines and whimpers, and Pocahontas smiled, "You are talkative yet adventurous...Just like your father.", freeing her shoulder shift, moving Koda to her breast, instantly suckling.
Nakoma looked at Haku, "I thank you for helping sister-friend. You give life to Pocahontas' son.", looking grateful and Haku smiled, "I am not one to leave anyone behind, and besides, she needs him as much as he does with her.", glancing at Pocahontas who is all eyes on Koda.
"Do you wish to be alone with Koda for a bit?", Haku asked as he tried to get her attention as she gave a small nod. "Well, not fully; I'd much rather have you here with me... just to make sure we're alright for a little bit.", Pocahontas said.
Haku nodded, "Of course. Can I have your permission to clean you down there?", with a polite smile, and Pocahontas smiled, "You may.", before speaking in her native language to Nakoma who nodded, getting up and leaving them.
"She will tell your group of the news. She will return with some clothes in a while.", Pocahontas replied, and Haku smiled, "Good. Your body warmth will keep Koda warm and secure, but he will eventually need some clothes.", as he went to clean Pocahontas carefully as the afterbirth was pulled out swiftly.
Seeing that there was a baby clip included, Haku smiled and quickly cut the cord, clipping as close to Koda, he nodded, "There, the cord will fall out in a few days, leaving him to have a belly button. Boy, Koda is sure hungry.".
"We were fairly starved during our captivity, it's understandable.", Pocahontas explained to him as Haku growled, "Unforgivable what they did... at least we killed the lot of them...".
Pocahontas nodded, "Indeed. My Koda...he's so stubborn to live...", gently caressing his head with a tender smile, and Haku smiled, "Well, it's no wonder why. Smith would be so proud and happy that you are already a great mother. I am sure he knows that he's got a son.".
"Perhaps... but, am I selfish that I wish he was here right now?", Pocahontas asked as Haku shook his head, "No, of course not.".
Pocahontas sighed heavily, "There was a reason why I named him Koda. Now, my island, Lania was far off from the war, perhaps two moons the long way around Enchantia, and a moon the short way. John Smith and his people was looking for allies and trade, and by a peace decree, my people and his people traded, becoming friends for perhaps 2 years, and I was myself friendly with John when he visited for diplomacy, and soon afterwards, we became secretly involved in a courtship as Ratcliffe had a decree that no one must not be intimate with natives, only allied for trade.".
"I showed John all the places, sharing adventures alike, and we observed many wonderful changes of nature, and one of them was a family of wild bears. A mother and triplets. We named the cubs, Sitka, Denahi, and Kenai. We were respectful and careful when we saw them, and vice versa, and I believe the friendship was how John saved little Kenai.".
"It was a cool summery day, and we were having a good time picking berries and such when we saw her coming up with the cubs playing not too far behind her, and then Kenai was distracted by an old moose bone, chewing on it when they came out. It was a pair of wild bobcats, and very hungry. The first one went straight for Sitka and Denahi, enabling the mother into protective mode, while the second one went for Kenai.".
"John went into action, fighting the bobcat, kicking it away from Kenai who was having a few cuts, crying out as I ran to comfort him, and I quickly put some herbs into the cuts, diminishing the pain as John came over, bearing some nasty scratches and cuts. Before I knew it, the mother was shadowing us, and I let go of Kenai quickly as she went to check on him. After cleaning him up and nuzzling him, she looked at us, and she then suddenly licked John's arms, giving him a nose nuzzle on the forehead before leaving us alone.".
"That day, two things happened after that. First, I was angry at John for not telling that he was going to do that, fearing that he would have been injured worser than he was, but he pacified me by calming me down with fervors of love and passion, and that he was sorry. That night, we become one. Second, in the back of my mind, in the future, in case if I have a son, I will name him after the bears in a way that it was honoring them.", Pocahontas finished with a nostalgic, bittersweet smile.
"Wow... I wasn't aware there was so much history behind that name... and now I just feel worse in the fact that we didn't help sooner.", Haku said with guilt. "Why do you keep blaming yourself?", Pocahontas asked with a stern frown.
"Because we were just so quickly freeing the lands, killing and destroying many of the dark armies and their leaders. Then Emma and John were expecting, and we mostly just stopped and consolidated with allies while we waited.", Haku sighed. "It's not like we were going to be held up much; not like bad weather that would cripple an army for months in a location... We could've easily won this war already if not for the delay...".