A/N:OK now let's try to keep this short. I've updated -throws confetti- and the reason I took so long is because of life and this thing called myownbusiness. I don't separate my dialogue because that is how I choose to write. I will not change it. This chapter is extremely corny when it comes to baby stuff, as well as over dramatizing in all of its entirety. Please read, especially review and enjoy. More A/N at the bottom/review responses. Please take time to vote on my poll on my main page!

Chapter Thirty: Tension

I woke slowly, not wanting to turn over from under my pillows and greet the day, but before I could drift back into sleep something caused my eyes to open in surprise. I felt the soft whisper of Ignis's mind as he greeted me now that I was fully awake. Frowning at the odd sensation from before I rolled back into my blankets and drifted off into sleep. It was not very long afterward that I was woken once again by the strange sensation, as if something weren't right with my body. I rolled onto my back and tried to sit up, meeting with failure in the effort. Hikari? Ignis asked with concern. It's alright, I just feel funny is all. I responded, trying once more to sit up and grunting as a small pain throbbed through me. Funny? He asked. I don't know it's a little hard to get up, like my legs are heavy or something. I said. That is strange; perhaps you slept awkwardly and…I didn't hear the rest because I was too occupied in my efforts to move out of the bed.

Even moving my head was exhausting. I grumbled as my discomfort grew. I felt the baby kicking and I raised my hand to rest it on my stomach in an attempt to soothe the irritable unborn infant. When he didn't stop moving I shifted my body as much as I could before the small movement took the breath out of me, my chest rising and falling rapidly with my heavy breathing. I groaned as I grew increasingly uncomfortable with each of the baby's movements, he was turning and kicking with both feet as if scrabbling around in my stomach in an attempt to crawl out of me. Then it came, taking the breath from my lungs as a sharp pain ripple through my body. My body seemed to spasm with the force of the scream that escaped my lips and I fell backward into the bed, twisting in the blankets in a desperate attempt to escape this agony. The pain then left me, my limbs feeling like lead as I sank back into the mattress exhausted. I breathed heavily while I looked down at my body, panic beginning to set in. Then the pain came again, this time more vicious in the speed that it seemed to tear into me. The baby kicked savagely within my womb in response. I knew then what was happening, I was going into labor. Something was very wrong. It shouldn't be happening this way or be this painful, this sudden without some sort of sign. In my struggles I knocked the blankets to the floor in a desperate attempt to rise from the bed. With the pain my limbs were somehow freed, but it gave little help to me because no matter how I moved I could find no way to rid myself of this pain. I sensed Ignis's worry through our connection and I called for him with my mind for help. "Hikari?!" I heard him yell, I wasn't even sure he was really in the room till I felt the heat of his hand as he took mine. "Ignis… the baby is…ah!" I groaned as clutched my stomach and rose slightly from the bed as a longer contraction built within me. "The baby?!" he asked in disbelief, probing my body with his power. The pain gripped me once more, making everything within me hurt. "Goddess, Ignis! I can't take this much longer!" I screamed. Suddenly his thoughts gripped mine with an iron vice and his words were cutting like a knife in their clarity, punching through my pain filled delirium as he repeated them with his mind and his mouth. "You will not give up; our child will come into this world no matter what." He told me.

"This isn't right Ignis; it shouldn't begin like this... It's too wrong..." my breathing hitched as the pain built again, air hissing out of my clenched teeth as my neck arched back into the pillows. "He will be born."Ignis said. "Even… if I die?" I asked breathlessly, managing to sit up slightly so I could meet his eyes. "I will not let you." He said fiercely. I swallowed and tried to gather my thoughts together. I felt the baby move slightly as another contraction began and I shuddered as the pain built once more. When I opened my eyes Ignis's red hues met my own, I glared at him and matched the determination within those fiery depths. "Don't ever say… I don't do that much for you." I growled. "I've never." He said while adjusting my head on the pillows. "I mean in the future." I groaned out as another contraction was on the rise my head flopped backwards. "Get it over with already!" I yelled as the pain seized my body. I didn't know how long I lied there. I was too tired, to tormented by this seemingly never-ending pain as I drifted in and out of consciousness. It was if the fates were toying with me. Taking the pain away long enough for my body to resettle only to come back from the shock. Then it would rise again, lasting for a few moments before receding again. I listened to Ignis's encouragements and relied on the feeling of our shared minds, using it as an anchor and keeping myself awake. "Whatever… happens… don't let the baby…" I gasped as another contraction came, this time lasting for over two minutes before the pain faded again, leaving me shaking and exhausted. Ignis took my hand within his as he placed his other upon my brow and forced me to shut my eyes. "What are… you doing?" I asked my breath staggering out at the last syllable. "I need you so save your strength when the time comes. I have seen that you being awake will cause too much stress on you and the child." He explained as my thoughts became groggy. "No I need to be… awake. If something happens…" I breathed in sharply as another contraction came, this time smaller but all the more painful in its fleeting presence. "Your body knows what to do; I am just going to numb the connection between your mind and body. In a sense your thoughts will be sleeping."I shook my head to try and shake his hand from my forehead. "But Ignis if..." my words trailed off as my thoughts became groggy. "I am here." He said as his thoughts softened around mine, gently lulling me into some sort of trance. "You can just… lend me your strength can't you? I won't be angry at you this time for doing something for me." I said tiredly, the words feeling heavier on my tongue than normal. "This is something I cannot interfere with, no matter who it may be. If I tamper with the birthing of our child I do not know what will happen, only that it will go wrong."He said. "But…" I complained, my eyes becoming nearly impossible to keep open. The next contraction didn't hurt as much, the feeling a dull ache within me. "Nothing good can come from upsetting the balance of life Hikari." He said. So I might die?I asked, too tired to form the words. Ignis's thoughts didn't come to me at first. You are different; your life belongs to me.He answered while putting me under. What?I asked hazily. I felt the pressure of his lips on my forehead, his voice gentle within my mind. Be ready for when I wake you, but for now just sleep. I cannot stomach seeing you in any more pain.

I floated about in a sort of dreamless sleep, unaware of my surroundings and unable to wholly focus on one thing other than Ignis's thoughts mingling with my own, acting as a sort of cushion around my mind. I had the vague feeling that my body was there but otherwise sensation was lost to me. Suddenly my mind snapped to attention and a confusing whirl of sensations assaulted my mind as the connection between my mind and body was restored. When I felt something pooling between my legs fear created an icy path down my spine as the copper smell of blood filled my nose. I felt Ignis's large hand on my head as he tried to offer what comfort he could, his hand moved from my head when my eyes opened to meet his. "Ignis... blood..." I breathed out. "We need to get help..." I said breathlessly, my body twisting as my pain increased. Ignis quickly moved to the end of the bed and lifted the blankets away from me, tossing them to the floor. His red eyes widened in shock at what I could only assume were a gruesome sight. Ignis pulled my body down across the mattress. I involuntarily kicked at his hands as a contraction seized me but he grasped my ankles firmly, ripping my bottoms off and bracing my feet against the bed posts. His fingertips were a wet red, the glow of his aura causing the blood to shine a sickly orange. "What are you doing you fool?" I screeched while writhing in pain. "There is no time, you have lost much blood and are in no condition to be moved. Now be still and do as I say." he ordered as I felt his mind and power probe through me as he attempted to make a connection to the baby. "Ignis!" I pleaded. "There is no time Hikari, now do as I say and PUSH!" he yelled, forcing my body to do the action that my mind wouldn't. I screamed in pain and my heart beat like a galloping horse within my chest, pounding against my sternum harder and harder with each breath. The pain lanced through me once more, caused a strangled scream to escape my mouth. Ignis encompassed my mind in his own, trying to dull the connection between my body and mind. The pain seemed to rise like a feral beast as my contractions were far apart but becoming longer and more pronounced. Sweat covered my limbs, my body shaking as I lied helpless in my bed. "Keep pushing Hikari."he encouraged. I blacked out for a moment, but Ignis's thoughts shifted, demanding my attention and bringing my mind to sudden consciousness. I gasped as my mind opened; scooping in mouthfuls of much need air as pain, more terrible than anything like before, hit me unprepared. I opened my mouth to scream, the sound echoing through the house as I lay in my bed.

My body was slick with sweat, every movement aching in me and causing a deep-seated pain from my lower body to only escalate further. I felt like I was being torn open, my skin and muscles being shredded apart without mercy. Push Hikari! Ignis ordered, screaming through my pain induced delusions. I tried to grasp onto his thoughts but was met by a sort of slippery wall that I couldn't hold onto. Ignis's mind tried to reach for my own but it happened once more, the sensations from my body making connection nearly impossible.Push! He yelled, the mental blow hitting my thoughts and sliding away in the next instant. Push? It was hard to breath, to think, my heart hurt, I just wanted it all to end. I wanted to shut off my body, anything not to feel this torment. I heard a small wail that echoed in the back of my thoughts, frightened and helpless as it called to me. I had a moment of piercing clarity among my mental turmoil. I would answer that innocent plea; I didn't know what to really do anymore so I did what any soon to be mother close to the last moment of labor would do. My instincts took over, my will taking a backseat as my body worked for me, my mind shutting off to all other thoughts except for the pain and need for one last push. My muscles tightened in preparation as I gathered energy that I did not know remained within me. All I did was push, clenching my jaw and squinting my eyes while breathing through my teeth, nearly passing out from the lack of oxygen. "Push Hikari, once more!Ignis yelled. I screamed and dug out whatever remained within my body, willing to give everything up in this last effort. With the last flare of pain my back arched and I rose slightly off the bed. I gasped for breath and fell backward, my taut muscles snapping like a bowstring under too much strain. I felt the babe slide out me, my body losing what it had nurtured for months safely within and I felt a sort of piercing sadness as the agony was ended in one instant. I wasn't aware of anything else because everything within in me seemed to shut off completely. It was a few moments before I found the will to open my eyes and look over at my husband. He held the child within his hands, the babe wrapped snuggly into a blue blanket. "Ignis." I rasped; he then quickly knelt beside the bed. I tried to lift my hand and reach for the babe, but it fell back weakly against the mattress. Ignis frowned and laid the child beside my head and helped me to adjust my head to get a first look at my baby.

"You did well Hikari." he said softly. "No, I did great." I answered. Ignis smiled as I studied the young face intently, his cheeks were still red from a few moments before and his eyes were closed and his breathing sound. I managed to reach a hand up and press a finger to a thin lock of red hair, wondering if his eyes were also like his father's. All of that pain and effort had been worth it. After a moment a strange thought entered my mind. "Ignis?" I asked... "Yes?" he answered, prying his eyes away from the baby to look at me for a moment. "I thought babies… cried when they were born." I whispered. "It is strange, but he does not." He replied while glancing back at the baby. Suddenly Ignis's expression became grim as his eyebrows lowered and he peered at our child. "Ignis what's wrong?" I asked. He placed his hand over the baby and snatched it back in the next instant. I was all the more confused by his silence and his strange actions. "Ignis?" I repeated. He remained silent, his mind flat and empty as his eyes widened in what I recognized as fear. "You're scaring me." I said worriedly. Ignis then took great care in reaching for the baby and wrapping his in his arms, looking down as him with the saddest eyes I'd ever seen. A cold dread settled over me and something welled within me, a fierce need to hold my son and shelter him from whatever harm was around him "Ignis? Give him back now." I told him, forcing a smile and holding my hands out to him. I gleaned through my husband's thoughts that our child wasn't moving for a reason, that what was happening now was very, very wrong. "Why isn't he moving? Ignis?!" I asked, my voice increasing in pitch with terror. He rose from the floor and held the babe in his arms. I reached out a hand and managed to secure part of the cloth of his robe front in my fingers. "Where are you going?" I asked with worry. He ran from me out of the room toward the front door. "Come back! Bring him back! IGNIS?!" I screeched in panic induced rage. I was unable to move from my bed, too tired to rush after him and the rapidly fading child he held in his arms. I felt the tears beginning to slowly drip from my eyes, sliding down the sides of my face to dampen the hair on either side of my head. The tears were hot as they seeped from my eyes, flooding to such an extent that soon I couldn't see past the film of liquid. I opened my mouth and cried of my sorrow, sobs wracking my already aching body.

I cried in frustration from being unable to respond to the primal need to go to my son and hold him, protect him. I cried from the grief of a babe I thought dead, but mostly I cried from loss. The loss of a precious gift that I had nurtured within me, come to love unconditionally through those many long days that I held a true miracle within my body. I cried for that precious gift, the loss of the wonderful creation between my Immortal and myself, a gift lost before it could even be given. A strong and clear voice sounded within my mind, overriding my grief and speaking with such force that I shuddered. Help him. I gasped as I realized the command had been one I gave myself. I struggled to wipe the tears from my eyes, my jaw setting into a hard-line as I willed myself to approach Ignis's mind.

It seemed as if a cold fist was closing around my heart, my very soul, causing a panic to race through my body and my thoughts to be lost in a tumbling sort of chaos. This was fear which is an alien feeling to me. I am the Harvest King, confident in my ability to overcome any and all obstacles presented before me. But it was not for me that I feared, but for the life of my son, the fragile life that fate deemed had no place in this world. Ha! What a notion, to think that Fate's whims would dictate my actions, yet it seemed all forces were against me in this one moment. So much so, that I feared that not even I still had the power to defy the decision already made. Hikari's desperate cries pierced through my chest as I snatched the babe from her frail form and she was too weak to pursue me as I headed out of the house and out the door way. The anguish that reverberated through my mind from her was drowned out by my own emotions coursing through me. I ran outside clutching the child as carefully as I could and fearing the worst. The sun had yet to pierce the horizon as the night slowly receded, the grass of Hikari's lush fields felt soft under my feet as I knelt and the earth sank beneath my weight.

I reached out to his small unformed mind; it was the same thing over and over, exhaustion, the inability to keep fighting for his place in this world. His soul hung by small strands to the life energy that flowed throughout the energy plain, and soon all semblance of life would leave his body. I dared not pour my energy into him because he was unlike Hikari, strong in spirit and able to withstand such an invasion. No, to tap into his soul would sever all ties he had left. I gazed over at the sea to see it brushing upon the beach, in and out with the tide and shifting of the waves. A gentle breeze blew through the fields and gently tussled his thin locks of bright red hair. My son's breathing became fainter with each passing moment and I watched helplessly as he slowly faded in my arms. For all of my power why was I unable to keep him alive? His breathing became shallower and more gentle, a soft sound no louder than a whisper. I felt his pulse through the hands I used to hold him, his heart faltering in its attempts to keep up a steady rhythm. Its pace began to slow; each beat seemed to sound within me as my entire being was on the edge as I watched him, for once truly helpless in all of my existence. I gazed down at that face and felt his skin becoming colder while I stared at the closed eyes that I hadn't yet gazed into. He had fought for his life, his mother had fought for his life, and what was their reward? It was a gift taken from my son, from my fragile mortal wife, only to leave despair in his place. He let out a small sigh and relaxed in a way that resembled deep slumber, but one I knew he would not wake from. The breath left him and the wind snatched it away, his heart stopping within his tiny form. My mind seemed to pause, unable to accept what had just occurred.

I placed his small body down before me in the soft grass. The green stalks were raised high, waiting for the life-giving force of the coming sun, a sea of green shining with a vitality my son no longer possessed. It was my heart that said it, what my mind refused to acknowledge in order to protect itself. And indeed they were loathed words, but they whispered that hated truth none the less. It was from the heart that had been trapped in stone and covered with ice, a heart I allowed to burst open on that day my mortal whispered her dear words to me, a heart once more open and free in its ability to truly feel. He is gone.It whispered within my mind, thudding painfully with the knowledge. The barrier between our thoughts crumbled and I finally acknowledged Hikari's screams in my mind. Like a tidal wave sweeping all in its path out to sea, our emotions joined together and locked, plummeting into despair. I was ready to disperse my energy and forever leave this world, so deep was my anguish, the only thing anchoring me to this plane was the tie to my mortal, for I could not abandon her. I leaned forward over the small body before me, my head bent in an act some would call weakness as I gazed unseeing at the small face. How the other deities would laugh if they saw me, the Harvest King prostrating before a dead mortal babe. Unbelievably, Hikari was bombarding her mind against mine, trying to force me to notice something I was to blind to see. Ignis he is not yet gone! Please look, just look!She pleaded. She redirected my thoughts to the energy surrounding the child and I quickly assessed the situation, the grief I was feeling suddenly vanquished by a thin thread of hope. Tendrils of life energy danced upon his skin, blue and red wisps keeping his soul from fleeing into the darkness.

Hikari's soul was keeping him anchored, barely giving him a fighting chance at life. My worry only doubled when I remembered her present state. She was in no place to keep one soul let alone two tied to the living world and if I didn't do something soon then her life would be lost along with his. Then I felt it, a sort of jolt through my aura as the sun cast light onto the waking world. My source of power calling to me and solving the riddle of my son's ailing life force. I rose from the ground, standing before the small body and I raised my arm toward the sky. I struck the clouds with my power, a brilliant red light briefly filling the sky before the white wisps departed as I and called winds to remove any obstacle left between the sun and the world for the briefest of moments. Then I heard it, the fluttering thud of a heart beating once more. I poured what energy I dared into his small body and focused the sun's energy into his spirit. After a brief fit of coughing the infants airways cleared as oxygen was pushed into them. He opened his eyes and took in the world before him. Red eyes met red and something wondrous was forged between us at that moment. Suddenly his eyes squinted in the corners and his lower lip trembled, the round cheeks flushing red. So with a deep breath he announced his arrival into the world with the piercing wail of new life.

I tried desperately the whole time Ignis was outside to lift myself out of the bed; it was if my body was made of lead. I literally had no energy to move, let alone force breath into my lungs and keep a clear head. I desperately bombarded Ignis's mind with my own in an attempt to see my son and where he had taken him. And just as my mind grew weary from the strained effort he let me in, a rushing tide of emotion that whip lashed through me and made tears pour down my cheeks once more. I fell back into the mattress and screamed out the grief and anguish that Ignis couldn't. My heart beat rapidly and pain lanced through me, causing my body to spasm and shivers all at once, helpless to save my baby. Just as I felt Ignis near his limit as I felt the life, through him, leave the small form he held in his hands I saw through his eyes. I'd never seen the "energy plane" that Ignis constantly told me about, and there was no way for him to show me other than incomprehensible thoughts and memories from his vast mind. But now as I saw it I was blinded by light, my mind filled with colors both real and impossible as networks of energy coursed around me. Rivers of separate threads of lives weaving together into the endless flow, and it called to me, its song nearly too sweet to resist. It made me want to recklessly abandon the body that enslaved my soul and to find freedom in the endless flow of life energies.

With more will power than I thought possible I resisted the siren song and focused on my soul anchored to the physical world, and noticed that mylife energy was keeping my son's soul from disappearing. I pleaded desperately with Ignis to see through his despair, but he had been too lost to hear me. I forced my will upon his and managed to direct a small part of his vast mind to see what I did. Just as quickly as it came the tide of emotions left and were replaced by a vestige of hope, hope that it wasn't too late. Ignis quickly went to work on bringing him back, through our connection I felt the frail soul settle once more and spark with life. Blackness enveloped my thoughts and the last thing I recalled was the piercing cry of my highly upset son.

I slowly woke to see Ignis sitting in a chair beside the bed, slowly rocking our baby in his arms. I tried to speak but my throat felt dry, my tongue to unwilling to move. Ignis raised his eyes to meet mine and I saw no worry in them, only the sleeping embers of a fire. A gentle smile graced his face, softened his eyes, and he was completely relaxed into the chair. Never before had I seen such a peace about him. He stood slowly and shifted the babe into one arm before reaching out to push the hair from my eyes. "How are you feeling?" he asked me. "How is he?" I whispered my throat raw from screaming. Ignis leaned down slowly and bent his arm so that I could see my son better. I took in the round face and healthy flush of his skin, as well as the small strands of bright red hair on his head. I smiled and attempted to reach for him, but my arms still felt heavy. I blinked away tears that threatened to spill over, angry at myself for not having the strength to hold my own baby.

Without a word he poured a small amount of energy into my limbs, and slowly I managed to sit up and raise my arms. Once he was satisfied I would be able to hold him without dropping him, Ignis gently relinquished the sleeping child and place him into my waiting hands. His small weight settled into my hands as I shifted him in my arms to support his head and body. It was an odd sensation to hold a baby in my arms, one that did not belong to another woman, but my own baby, my flesh and blood. This sensation of a small, living weight in my arms felt so right. Ignis looked on silently as I rocked him back and forth in my arms, enjoying this moment. "I should thank you." He said after a few minutes of contented silence. "For what?" I asked, finding it difficult to look away from the sleeping baby in my arms. "You were able to keep him here long enough for me to save him."He replied. A twinge of sadness darkened my mind for a moment, but I quickly dashed it aside and refused to let it spoil my happiness. "Then I should thank you for saving him. Exactly what was wrong?" I asked. Ignis reached over and fingered the blue cloth around the baby. "He has more god in him than human, and his soul was warring with the energy plane I think. His energy is similar to my own, but at the moment wasn't strong enough to make the connection to the world around him."He explained, his eyes empty from remembering that frightful time.

"What saved him then?" I asked. "You kept him here long enough for the sun to rise, and in the end that was what he needed. It seems his life force it tied to the sun, just the way mine is."He answered. Fear spiked through me, "Does that mean he will die when the sun sets?" I asked in panic. Ignis shook his head. "No it just means he will be weaker during the night and when the sun is obscured during the day." He said, easing my fears. I relaxed back into my bed and once again focused my attention on the baby. "Hikari?"he asked. "Hmm?" I responded. "This child... Is our child. It is a strange feeling to become a father. A strange feeling to be a parent." he said. I watched him for a moment and smiled. "It is strange isn't it?" I asked. "I don't think you understand Hikari, not fully. I've entertained the thought of offspring over the course of time but never have I given it serious thought. I had no reason to truly want a child, no reason to believe that it was possible."I considered my response carefully, not wanting to ruin this happy moment. "Well perhaps it was difficult, but nothing is impossible, not if you believe right?" I asked. Ignis smiled at me before speaking. "Are you forgetting anything?" he asked. I looked at him in confusion. "No?" I asked.

"What will you name him?"Ignis asked me, an amused smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. I blinked before my cheeks flamed a bright red, embarrassed that I had forgotten something so important. I thought for a moment, after all the names I'd thought of during my pregnancy I never really could choose. As I mulled over the decision a new name popped into my mind and I knew it was perfect when I looked at his small face. "Garrett." I answered. When Ignis didn't respond I looked up to see him holding his chin, considering the name in his head. "Yes I think that will do just fine. Yes, his name is Garrett." He said. And just at that moment baby Garrett woke, the soft purple backs of his eyelids lifting to show a pair of crimson eyes. I looked into them as Garrett peered at me from my arms. They were not the same as his fathers, the red was the same vibrant hue, but they didn't hold the mesmerizing glints of gold and copper. I smiled, happy that he wasn't completely like his father. "Hello little man, I am your Momma." I said sweetly.

As soon as the words left my lips Garrett opened his little mouth and screamed. His small hands fisted in his blankets as I rocked him back and forth rapidly, unsure what to do to make him stop. Ignis reached over and gently pulled him from my arms and I reluctantly relinquished him to my husband. Immediately Garrett stopped crying, once again peaceful. Wait a moment. "Let me see him again." I said, reaching my hands out just as Ignis moved to hand him over. Once again Garrett started crying. Ignis looked at me apologetically as he took him back and Garrett settled once more in his father's arms. "What's wrong?" I asked. Ignis's eyebrows raised in surprise as he figured out the answer and it was sent back through our mental connection. "He doesn't like me?" I asked in disbelief.

I groaned from my kitchen as Garrett's cries ricocheted off the walls of my house. He screamed from his small wooden crib that rested against the wall near the foot of my bed. I'd been surprised when Ignis showed it to me. "Where did it come from?" I had asked him. "As if I would trust that buffoon of a carpenter to make a crib safe enough for my son." Ignis had said haughtily, all the while holding Garrett in his arms. Ignis had left a few hours later, saying he had upset many people by 'scattering the clouds' as he called it and needed to rectify the situation. After depositing our bouncing baby boy in my hands he disappeared and promised to be back soon. The departure of his father was the ON switch and he immediately started crying again. You know how some people say they will stop crying when they get tired? Not this kid, he'd been going for four hours straight. Never running out of breath and not stopping for a second between each cry. I had spent that tortured time cleaning my bed linens and the rest of the house at a slow pace, still very much weak.

Not able to take it anymore, I marched over to the crib and picked him up examining him for an off switch. Sighing as my search naturally led to nothing, I held him in one arm as I headed over to the kitchen. After fishing around in a drawer I pulled out a small red pacifier and stuck it in his mouth. Garrett protested at first but after a moment proceeded to suck on the pacifier but seemed to glare at me with his little red eyes. I sighed in relief and cradled the infant and who, now silenced, was feeling the effects of his relentless crying. Slowly his eyes drooped till they finally closed. I sighed in relief and walked over to his crib, setting him down gently and pulling the blanket up to his chin to ward off the cold. I leaned against his crib and gazed down at him, smiling to myself. I was still growing accustomed to the fact that I had a baby, and it felt strange not needing to waddle when I walked. I felt a gentle breeze through my house and warmth across my back as Ignis moved to stand at my side. "Are you feeling well?"he asked me. I nodded and leaned into him as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders. "When he's not crying he actually is kind of cute." I grumbled into his shoulder, feeling tired. "He is a handsome child." Ignis said in agreement. "He looks like you." I observed, a little jealous. Ignis shrugged. "He looks a bit like you as well." Ignis responded. I laughed. "I don't think my eyes are as good as yours then." I said. "Garrett has your ears and your nose." He replied, reaching in to lift the blanket just a bit higher.

"That's true, goddess forbid if he had pointed ears like you." I said. Ignis frowned at that and reached up to touch the pointed end of his left ear. "Exactly what is wrong with my ears?"he asked. I stifled a giggle and poked the tip of his other ear. "On you they look just right, but if he had them," I said while pointing to Garrett in the crib, "he would be a little gremlin." I finished. Garrett squirmed in his crib until he got more comfortable and then relaxed, his little eyes shut tight. "Why does he cry when he's with me but not when he is with you? I thought boys were supposed to be more attached to their mothers." I said. "I suppose I am more likable than some." Ignis answered smugly. "What's so likable about you?" I asked, more out of jealousy than spite. He led me to my bed after I stifled a yawn. "Well there must be one or two admirable traits about me, or else I doubt a baby would be lying in the crib over there." Ignis responded. I sat down on the bed and worked on my socks, not responding to his humor.

"Come now Hikari, its most likely a phase. I was the first person he latched onto after all."Ignis said. "I still don't like it." I replied while getting up to dig in my dresser. After pulling on a pair of cotton pajama pants and a T-shirt I walked back over to the crib to check on him once more. "Despite his preferring me, the crying, and his stubborn attitude, you still care for him don't you?" Ignis asked me. "That's a stupid question, of course I do. How could I not?" I responded before moving back to my bed and settling into the mattress. Ignis forced me to scoot over and as punishment I piled a few pillows between us. He ignored this and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me toward him. "Don't think too much on it Hikari. You're his mother and sooner or later he will realize that he has no choice but to like you." He said. "That's reassuring." I said sarcastically. "I am serious, things are strange for him now, but eventually he will settle down."He said while forcing my head down on my pillow. "Now get some rest you've had a long day."Ignis ordered, ruffling my hair before settling his hand down beside me. "And it'll be worse tomorrow." I grumbled while pulling the blanket over my head.

I stepped out into the chilly winter air and inhaled deeply, enjoying the crisp smell of the season. Garrett was still on his anti-mommy brigade so, much to my loathing, I left him with the preferred parent to devote my time to reclaiming my ranch. Ignis had done well with my crops and animals, as a Harvest King should. My fields were filled with thick stalks of buckwheat and lush with blossoming Green Bell flowers, all nearly ready for harvesting. Before leaving Ignis to watch Garrett I made him promise to let me do all of my farms work without his interference. Oh and back on that topic, Ignis wasn't exactly with Garrett. The child was sleeping soundly in his crib and Ignis and I were both keeping tabs, me through a baby monitor strapped to my hip and him with his mental eye or some other nonsense. I quickly hobbled about in my thick clothing, wanting to scratch at the itchy wool that was layered over me. I had planned to sneak out of the house before telling Ignis to watch the baby so I could go about my day undisturbed, it had been two whole weeks and my whole being was urging me to get up and move.Just between you and me, frankly I was fed up with being stuck in the house with a screaming baby who didn't like the person who gave birth to him, and then a new doting father who spent all his time watching said baby. As I headed over to the door, careful to make sure no sound was made so Garret would stay sleeping, I sneaked forward. I had just placed my hand on the doorknob when Ignis caught me. He appeared behind me so I couldn't see his face, nor did I have to in order to know that his expression was not one of approval. His aura heated my back as he reached an arm around me. "Where," he said while placing his larger hand over my own, "do you think you are going?" he asked pleasantly while pulling my fingers of the knob. "I am going outside." I replied tersely while once again reaching for the door and pulling at the knob. Ignis calmly placed one hand palm down on the upper part of the door and leaned into it. I glared up at him from out of the corner of my eye and, refusing to give up, I grabbed the knob with both hands and pulled. The door bounced in the frame but otherwise remained immobile. Not to be deterred, I placed one booted foot on the door frame and leaned my weight on my back leg as I pulled harder at the door. Air filtered through the two inch gap I had managed to create despite Ignis's annoying attempts to keep me inside. The winter air smelled fresh and clean and caused my hands to shiver from the cold. Encouraged by this small amount of progress I put even more effort into pulling it open, determined to spite my husband. I couldn't react in time as Ignis all of a sudden pulled his hand off the door while I stood on one foot, leaning all the way back, a mischievous thought from him my only warning. I fell backward with a startled gasp and right into his hands. Ignis laughed lightly while closing the door and locking it. "I am going outside Ignis!" I yelled while shrugging off his hands. "Hikari…" He began to say but I cut him off. "I have been bedridden and on house arrest for six and a half months you overgrown brute! I put up with your demands that I 'take it easy' and 'do what's best for the baby.' But guess what mister; the BABY is not in MY BELLY anymore! I am going outside even if I have to hack a whole in the wall with my hammer. So don't even try to stop me!" I finished, out of breath from my tirade.

Ignis only frowned at me, the irritation evident in the way his eyes narrowed; his words were short and clipped. "I was merely going to tell you that you had to dress properly before going outside in this weather." He replied before turning away from me and heading over to my dresser. "I am dressed just fine!" I snapped. Ignis didn't turn to look at me as he answered. "A t-shirt and jeans are not the proper attire for winter." He replied while pulling open a drawer. I looked down at my clothes and did notice that I would most likely have frozen before I could have gotten any work done. "Fine." I grunted while making my way past the crib and around the bed to get to my dresser. "Your winter boots are at the end of the bed." He said while tossing a pair of thick woolen socks beside me on the pillow as I sat. I grabbed the boots and began to unlace them as Ignis continued to dig through my clothes, most likely causing all of them to unfold in the process. I pulled on the thick socks and then the boots, bending over the lace them up my feet. He tossed me a thick red woolen sweater and a long-sleeved white turtle neck onto the bed. I reluctantly pulled the turtle neck over my head and then the sweater. After fixing my disheveled hair I began scratching at my arms. "This itches something awful!" I complained while beginning to pull the sweater off. "Don't argue with me Hikari, for this is one issue in which I will not yield." He answered while still digging through my clothes. "But it's not even that cold out!" I protested once more after releasing the sweater and scratching at my arms. He walked over with another pair of boots and other assortments of winter attire. "Put these on." He ordered while pulling the collar of sweater up to cover my neck and then throwing the boots onto the floor in front of me. "I already have boots on." I said. "I just realized they are the wrong pair. Now change your boots."I did as commanded and he waited patiently as I bent over to take my current boots off, and then when I laced the thick winter boots up my legs. I felt his eyes on the top of my head as I took my time. I stood and took the thick red mittens that he offered me. "You are in no condition to be outside in this weather without being properly clothed. Ignis said, forcing a woolen cap over my head and down over my ears. "Is all of this really that necessary? I'm perfectly fine!" I complained while adjusting the hat on top of my head and tucking my hair behind my ears. "You just gave birth to a child Hikari; no woman no matter how tenacious can just bounce back from such an ordeal under two weeks' time. And since your delivery was especially traumatic I will take no chances with your health." Ignis then wrapped a thick green scarf around my neck and knotted it tightly in the front so couldn't loosen it. I groaned in disbelief as my mittened hands pulled uselessly against the tight scarf. "But it itches!" I protested once more. Wanting to throw off the rough woolen garments and burn them. Ignis ignored me and herded me toward the door, grabbing my winter coat on the way. "No, I have enough layers as it is!" I exclaimed, shoving away the coat that he handed me.

"You either stay inside and watch the baby, or go outside with the coat on. Which shall it be?" he asked impatiently, no longer able to tolerate my whining. I glared at him silently while forcing my arms through the coat and zipping it up. "I'll overheat before I freeze in this getup." I mumbled while reaching for the door. My hand slid across the smooth surface of the metal knob without turning it. I growled as my mittened hands clutched at the knob and attempted to turn it. "This is impossible!" I cried. Ignis calmly reached around me and turned the knob and opened the door for me, gesturing with his other hand for me to walk outside. "Be careful." He said before shutting the door and leaving me outside, I wouldn't be half surprised if he locked it. "Worry wart!" I yelled at the closed door. So here I was, outside, breathing in as much fresh air as I could through my scarf, and wanting to rub myself against a tree to rid myself of the incessant itching. I walked through the snow to my barn, the white powder crunching under my boots. I slid the large wooden door open and stepped inside, then closed it quickly to keep the cold air from seeping into the warm shelter. My animals didn't respond to my presence at first, still drowsy from sleep. Lemon was the first to see me and she gave out an excited moo once she recognized me through my woolen armor. I went to my horse, Cherry, first to check her hooves and pat down her legs to see that she was in peak physical condition. After quickly brushing her slightly tangled mane and smoothing down the thin hair on her flanks I moved over to Grape, who greeted me by gently trying to nibble on my gloves. I laughed and pulled my mitten from her mouth, the goat eyeing me lazily through half lidded eyes. I quickly scratched her neck and then milked her, slowly dragging the full container to line up beside the shipping bin. I moved on to the next cow and the next, stopping between each one to give Lemon a good scratch under her massive head so she would stay quiet. Slowly my line of full milk containers grew until I at last came to one very obstinate cow that had her rump facing my direction as she ate. "Hey girl." I said as I opened her stall and walked inside with a bucket in my hand. Peach eyed me warily from the corner of one brown eye as she fed. I patted her down to make sure nothing was ailing her and then cautiously moved a hand under her large head. I scratched her underneath the chin for a few moments, until she grew irritated and raised her head from my fingers. I smiled in amusement as I quickly brushed the fur across her back before grabbing a stool from the corner. I quickly sat down and slid the bucket underneath her, taking a moment to position it just right. Peach mooed in annoyance but made no other move to protest my actions.

I talked gently to my youngest cow to keep her calm and help her become accustomed to my presence. Peach allowed me to milk her for a few minutes until she raised one hoof. I spied the movement from the corner of my eye to late as she kicked over the full bucket and its contents spilled across the barn floor. The milk soaked the hay strewn across the floor and sunk below the surface. "Peach!" I yelled as I kicked milk off my boots. I growled low to myself as I reached for a rag to wipe off my boots and Peach's soaked leg. The blasted cow went about eating her breakfast as if nothing was wrong and ignored me completely. I picked up the fallen bucket and slid it back under her, determined to finish the task. Peach danced about on her hooves for a moment until I snapped at her. "If you don't stop squirming you're getting half portions tomorrow!" The cow turned her head to glare down at me from one brown eye and after a brief staring contest she relented and stopped moving. I sighed in relief and quickly milked her to gather what little milk she had left to offer. I quickly placed the stool back in the corner and left the stall. As I closed the door I looked into the bucket and the pitiful amount of milk it contained. "Decent at best." I observed, earning an offended moo from Peach. I ignored this and sealed the milk and quickly placed the containers side my side in the shipping bin. The lid smacked shut with a satisfying thud before I turned from it and headed to the barn doors. Once outside I quickly ran into the coop and slammed the door behind me. As a result I sent seven chickens and one duck flying off their nests in surprise as they ran about the coop in a panic of feathers and straw. I struggled with my clothing to reach my rucksack and pulled out my bell. I rang it once and my animals came to the alert, gathering around me and staring up at my face. I bent over and picked each of them up and inspected their feathers and feet, checking for signs of injury or ill-health. One chicken decided to venture off as I placed Carl back among the rest of my chickens. I stepped over the feathery horde and grabbed the escapee before she could toddle off any farther. "No running Howard." I told the bird as I turned her around and examined her. I lifted one of her wings and received a sharp peck from her beak on my hand. "Ow!" I yelled and almost dropped her. As I placed the bird back on the floor I noticed that she wobbled a bit more than usual as she walked. I quickly dug through my rucksack and pulled out a vial of animal medicine from one of the inner pockets.

I grabbed the bird once more and Howard struggled as I forced her beak open and slowly poured the medicine down her throat. Once I was done she flapped in my arms and landed on the floor in a flurry of angry feathers, clucking at me indignantly. "It's for your own good." I told her before quickly checking on my silk worms and then moving off to gather some feed. I went around and filled each of the troughs and scooped a handful out of one bag and placing it before each of my silkworms. The smallest one, Matilda, ate hers in a hurry and I laughed as I scooped a bit more out for her. After gathering the eggs and sealing them in cartons I placed them gently at the bottom of the shipping bin and closed it. I held two eggs carefully in my hand, planning to make a bit of breakfast before I watered my crops. As I stepped back out into the winter air I looked over to see Anissa on my front porch. I quickly ducked back into the coop and did my best to remain silent. I peeked around the edge of the doorway and saw that Ignis answered the door in human form. Anissa asked something that I couldn't hear and Ignis responded. Whatever he said didn't seem to please Anissa because her eyes narrowed and her frown became more pronounced. She spoke a little more and after Ignis answered he closed the door with a dull thud, leaving Anissa stunned speechless on my porch. After making a very unladylike gesture with her hand toward the door Anissa huffed her way down the steps and away from my ranch. I quickly ducked out of sight and waiting a few minutes before peeking back outside. Once I assured myself all was clear I ran from the coop and quickly up to the door, opening it and accidentally slamming it in my urgency to get inside. The loud noise startled Garrett who had slept in his crib and Ignis had retreated to his mountain for a while to attend to some important task on the far side of the world that didn't interest me. Garrett began to cry and I heaved a sigh of frustration. I dug in my nightstand drawer and then walked over to his crib, attempting to silence him with a binky. He merely turned his head and kept crying. Giving up, I walked over to my bed and sat down with a huff and nearly fell over as the layers of clothes on me threatened my balance. I began to yank at the mittens and scarf that itched terribly, nearly tearing the garment off my neck as I failed to untie the knot Ignis had made earlier. With my frustration increasing I settled for pulling the tight scarf over my head and messing up my hair. Next went the sweaters until finally I was free of the confining wool. After impatiently tugging at my boots I tossed them on the floor and they landed on their sides with a satisfying thud. Garrett continued to cry from within his crib but I could tell they were crocodile tears, since my baby didn't "like me." I growled low to myself while standing and walking into my kitchen. After rummaging through the cabinet I quickly filled a bottle with baby formula, filled it with water from the tap, and popped it in the microwave to warm it up. Once the shrill tone alerted me that the formula was ready I took it out and walked back to Garrett's crib, twisting on a lid as I went. I lowered the bottle down to him and he snatched it from my hand, his small hands fumbling with it till I had to readjust it to where his mouth could grasp the rubber top. Not for the first time my baby seemed to grimace as he drank from the bottle, but he continued to eat and soon a contented silence settled within my house.

I tucked his blanket underneath him as he ate and then smoothed the thin red hair on top of head which shined like polished copper within the light. As I leaned on the side of his crib and watched as his eyes slowly lowered as he emptied his bottle, I thought back to Anissa's visit with concern. I couldn't very well go meandering around the island and my ranch with a deflated stomach and no explanation about why I was suddenly not pregnant. I touched my still slightly rounded stomach, feeling as if I had lost something for a moment, until Garrett voiced his displeasure when the bottle fell out of his little fingers to roll to his side. I quickly grabbed the bottle and righted it for him before he could cry, sighing in relief as he returned to his meal in silence. Magically falling into a river in the middle of a storm and surviving all on my own was quickly classified as a miracle. But a baby bore only in six months? A strong baby whose intelligence shined like two red gems within his eyes. He was in no way "normal" but neither was he strange, but I would not have my baby raised in a place where he was treated like a stranger, an outcast. Brooding on this thought, I sent a thought toward Ignis to catch his attention. His response was delayed by a few moments as his attention was divided. Is something wrong?He asked. I shook my head, feeling silly after a moment because he was not in front of me. I had become accustomed to speaking with him through our bond, but it was hard to remember that he was not right beside me.

What do you know about children born between a human and a god?I asked. Ignis faltered slightly as he concentrated his attention to a task far beyond our island. I briefly glimpsed a vast plain that was a sickly tan color, the grass dry and brittle from lack of rainfall. Ignis once again focused on our conversation, sounding a little irritated. As much as any other deity. Not much. I frowned at his impatience and reined in my own irritation, it wouldn't benefit me to get a headache by arguing with him. I meant what is life like for them, is it difficult growing up?I asked. All cases are different; it depends on the deity and the mortal parent. I have yet to learn of a Goddess raising their half mortal offspring.I blinked, genuinely shocked by his statement. How could any mother give away their child?I asked, angry at the very idea that anyone could do such an abominable act. They were not given away, they were abandoned. Usually with the mortal parent.He answered. But that is so cruel, so cold, how could they..?Ignis cut me off at the beginning of my mental tirade. We are not human Hikari. There was a vague sense of something other in his tone, a cold observation from an inhuman being. I gave him a sort of mental slap as the feeling began to rub across my brain the wrong way. You may not be a human, but you do not lack a heart.I said fiercely. Ignis pondered my statement for a moment in mild amusement until his thoughts warmed around mine in an intimacy that I was still becoming accustomed to. We all have a heart Hikari, it is a matter of whether we decide to accept the feelings that it inflicts upon us.I remained quiet, but of course he picked up on the lingering curiosity that I did not form into a clear thought.

I do regret allowing myself to feel emotions so long ago. I made a mistake in giving that heart to a people who did not treat it with care.I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment as I forced myself to ask my next question. Do you regret... giving it to me?I asked. Ignis's amusement was clear as he quickly answered me. There are those rare moments when a colder side of me sees it as a weakness, as a mistake that needs corrected. However... it is moments like now that help that side of me to see that it is not an error in judgment, but a gift.I stuttered out my breath, finding myself pressing my cool hands to my flushed cheeks. You make me feel like an embarrassed teenager!I said angrily, not sure what to do with my mixture of embarrassment and happiness. You asked. I grumbled to myself for a little while longer before getting serious once more. So what would happen when the child was abandoned by its immortal mother? I asked. If the human parent accepted him or her, then the child grew up to live a normal life, much like other humans.My thoughts became darker as I thought more on his words. What about the children that were abandoned by both parents? I asked. Ignis's thoughts became solemn, and I felt a niggle of worry in the back of my mind when he didn't immediately answer. None survived.I glanced down at my baby. They all died?I asked hesitantly. None made it to adulthood. Without the guidance of the immortal mother or the insight of the mortal father who could see what most mortals could not, the immortal half of their souls would overwhelm them. They would go insane and their power would burn them up from the inside.

My eyes locked on my small baby within his crib, the blue blanket tangled around his body as he wiggled to get more comfortable. What about Garrett?I asked as the worry began to set in, causing my body to go still as I waited for his answer. My worry had me launching a tirade of questions before he could respond, my panic escalating at a rapid pace. You are the strongest among the immortals aren't you? You are his father, so how do we know how much power is within him? He could be overwhelmed before he even learns how to control it! What if...?Ignis cut off my thoughts as they scattered about in a dozen different places, my fear making me irrational. Hikari, calm yourself.He ordered, the negative direction of my thoughts coming to an abrupt halt. I took a deep breath that did little to nothing to ease my nerves as my eyes remained on my baby, the fear a living creature breathing down my neck. I wanted to reach down and cradle him in my arms even if he cried, I wanted to shield him from something I had no power to stop should it one day happen. "Hikari." Ignis said from behind me. I jumped at the sound of his voice but otherwise didn't move from where I was standing. Ignis placed a warm hand on one of my own and I hadn't even realized I'd been gripping the crib so tightly that my knuckles were white till I let go. "You worry far too much for your own good. I have already taken the fact that he has power within him into mind. His future is unpredictable but not hopeless Hikari. I will teach him to control his power and to harness it to help others as he should. What would be more fitting for a demigod?"he asked. "So... he will be a superhero? I asked, completely serious. Ignis was slightly taken aback that I had not been joking. "I do not know if he will be the kind of superhero who runs about in red undergarments... what was his name? Super boy." he said. "Superman." I corrected. Ignis found that highly amusing as he continued. "He will have to blend in with other humans as he grows, but he can use his powers to help nature, to help the world." Ignis suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling my body to his as he rested his head against mine. "It will be alright Hikari, everything will be fine."he said in an effort to comfort me.

I hadn't even realized I'd been shaking until he squeezed me even tighter against him, the heat of his aura warming my back. I took several deep breaths until by body calmed and the hand that he held became firm in his grasp. "I'm ok now." I told him. Ignis took my words as a request to release me and I stopped his retreating arms by gripping his hand tighter in my own. He returned the pressure and kept his arms around me, his thoughts questioning. "Does something else trouble you?"he asked. "Not particularly." I replied while surprising him by turning within his embrace until we were face to face. He stood a little straighter, the distance between our faces increasing slightly with his formidable height. I frowned but remained undeterred by his evasive maneuver. "What is it?"he asked once more. "Nothing." I mumbled before reaching up one hand to catch a fluttering lock of his crimson hair. I rubbed the silken red length within my hand before releasing it, the lock of hair returned to fluttering about his head. "Why do you and the Harvest Goddess keep your hair so long?" I asked mildly. "Back when humans began civilization, those of power wore their hair long; artists portrayed the Gods with hair flowing about them. So we adapted to fit that image."he answered. "And you haven't changed over the course of time?" I asked. The thought in his mind was brief and I smiled in humor. "What an ego you have dear husband. But I will be honest with you; the long hair does make you look quite handsome." I smiled as he glowed at the compliment. "Your ego hasn't gotten any smaller since the first time I met you. Who would have known at the time that I would one day call the same haughty man husband?" I asked teasingly. His smile stretched with his amusement. "And who would've known that would call that same woman my wife, my fragile mortal." The words that left his mouth were light, but the last were filled with an affection that made me glow. "Your fragile mortal?" I repeated. He nodded. "My mortal." he said once more. "I remember a time when you said those words with contempt, why the sudden change?" I asked.

"I still do, I find the rest of your kind repulsive and annoying." he said. "How sweet." I mused. He bonked the side of my head for interrupting. "However with you it is different. I find the pet name to suit you just nicely."I raised one eyebrow and lowered my gaze from his to hide my blush. "Using pet names now are we? Then what do I call you? Iggy?" I asked. Ignis bristled at that, his body going from welcoming too stiff for an instant as his agitation became more and more apparent. "What you just said might have literally made my skin walk or however you humans say It." he growled. "Crawl, not walk." I corrected. Ignis shrugged before he relaxed once more against me. "No one will call me anything but Harvest King if they are of exceptional standing, anyone lower would refer to me as Your Majesty."he said. "You really need to work on that arrogance of yours." I answered tartly. "But only you Hikari, no other but you are worthy of calling me by my name."he said. I felt his gaze on the top of my head and I raised my eyes to meet his piercing stare. The strength of that gaze sent shivers all the way down to my toes. "Ignis." I whispered, the name spoken like a secret hidden between bed sheets. His smile became taunting as he read the change in my body and mood. I leaned more into him while placing my palms against his chest for balance. I rose up on my toes and those sensual lips remained out of my reach as he leaned away from me. "Hikari you are still recovering." he said, but made no move to release his hold on me. "I think I'll be ok." I mumbled while reaching up to place my hands on his shoulders. Ignis stilled my advances for a moment to speak. "We will go no further." his expression was stern. Ignis had made the mistake of leaning forward and I smiled mischievously before pressing my lips to the strong column of his throat. His breathing hitched slightly and his arms became a cage around me. Ignis went still as he willed himself not to move.

I bit down on the steady pulse just below the side of his jaw and he tensed around me, the steady beat under my lips skipping a bit. I smiled against his skin as I continued, feeling bold in a way like never before. When he made no other responses to my attentions I became irritated and decided to punish him by nipping at the warm skin exposed by the V of his robes. "Hikari." he said sternly, his breathing harsh. I ignored him and my fingers drifted from his shoulders to slide down his arms and curl around his biceps, the muscle flexing under my fingertips. "Come on Ignis. It's unlike you to be so... unresponsive." I said with my lips curling into a teasing smile against his skin. "It is unwise to taunt me..." He warned. I lifted my lips from his chest to raise my head and meet his eyes. They were guarded as he watched me and attempted to discern the reason behind my actions with his mind. I sent his probing search flying with a slight mental shove from my mind. Ignis's eyes narrowed in irritation but he didn't repeat the action, deciding to wait for me to show it to him. I relinquished my hold on one of his arms to raise my hand and run my fingers up the side of his jaw till they rested at his ear. "I am very happy that we have a baby, truly. I don't mind taking care of him even if I do complain often..." I mumbled. "Very often." Ignis commented. I frowned but continued speaking. "But..." I continued, gulping as my throat became dry. I fingered the edge of one of his pointed ear and then I toyed with one of the multiple earrings that decorated the length of his ear. "... It sure does make it hard to do things like this." I finished. Ignis held me closer, the hard lines of his body molding against me as the intimacy between us increased. "You say it is unlike me to be... unresponsive," he grumbled over the last word, "However it is unlike you to be so persistent."Ignis smiled as my cheeks flushed a deep scarlet as I continued to toy with the earrings on his ear.

When I didn't reply I saw the arch of one elegant red eyebrow in the corner of my eye as he looked at me in question. "No snappy retort?" he asked. I favored him with a sideways glance as I lost interest in his ear. "Well I haven't had a bite of immortal man candy in quite a while so to be quite frank I have a sweet tooth." Ignis blinked once, then twice, before a huge smile turned the corners of his lips up and he began to laugh, the sound building in his chest to tumble out of his mouth as the boisterous sound became louder. He wiped the corner of one eye as he fought to get himself under control however he simply smiled wider and began again. "It's not that funny..." While I grumbled I was entranced by how happy he seemed at this moment. Garrett made a sort of grunting noise in his sleep and Ignis silenced his laughter, his lips pressed together as he contained his laughter and he then covered his mouth to keep from having another fit. I frowned when his mirth faded because Ignis smiled around me often, but rarely did he laugh. Finally what little patience I had left vanished as I yanked on his robes in order to bring him to a lower height as I pressed my lips to his. For a moment he returned the pressure, his lips molding against mine to take command of the situation. I gasped into his mouth as he bit down on my lips in order for me to open more to him. I found the taste of him as he found me, my thoughts becoming heavy as the passion grew. The room was getting hotter, and I doubted that it was a result of the Heat being on. His hand drifted down to the edge of my turtleneck and he slipped his hand underneath. The heat if his palm against the cool flesh of my back sending shivers along my skin. His hand drifted up to rest at the middle of my back as he used the position to pull me forward so that my midsection was pressed closer to him.

Suddenly he pulled away, his lips gone and his warm hand vanishing from my skin. "Hikari we can go no further!"He said in a heated whisper while glancing meaningfully at the baby. I took a moment to get my baring before speaking. "You're the one who got all grabby. Besides, I'm not stupid Ignis I can scratch that itch later. But it doesn't mean that I can't kiss you." I replied while tightening my hands on his arms. "Kissing leads to other things."He answered. "Only if you let it." I said. Ignis's heated gaze met mine before he returned his hand to the small of my back, on the outside of my clothing. He raised a hand to cup one hand around my cheek, his fingers trailing to stroke the back of my neck. I shivered as his fingers caressed the sensitive skin along the base of my skull. "So I am man candy?"he asked, referring to my earlier statement. "Yep, a sugary piece of candy." I sighed as I leaned into his hand. "So I am sweet?"he asked. I frowned slightly but I continued to enjoy the warmth that seeped into my skin from our close contact. "When you want to be." I replied. "No sassy remarks."he said while tugging playfully at my hair. "I wouldn't be so 'sassy' if someone would just kiss me al..." I inhaled sharply when he moved to where his face was only a few inches from mine. His eyes bore into my own and he remained there for a moment, keeping me in place with just his gaze before he leaned forward and... Pressed his lips against my forehead. "What are you doing?!" I asked in exasperation. I felt his lips curl into a smile against my skin. "Being sweet." he answered before placing a kiss against my temple. "Why?" I asked irritably, having to close one eye as he placed a kiss there. "Because I want to." He answered, throwing my earlier words back in my face.

"Well you're giving me a toothache." I grumbled as he cupped my chin in order to turn my face to place his lips just below my cheekbone. After a few more kisses to my face I slowly lost my frustration. He was being sweet; his touch as he held me close was firm but gentle, allowing me to completely relax against him as I enjoyed his attentions. My eyes must have been half-closed because they flew open when he placed a kiss precariously close to my mouth. "You're teasing me! I growled at him, anger bubbling under the passion that made my limbs lazy. Ignis chuckled low in his throat as his warm eyes met mine. His smile was a playful one. "Just repayment for your earlier behavior." he said until slowly the laughter left his eyes and his gaze fell to my lips. Ignis's mind brushed briefly against my own and he slid his arm across my back to pull me impossibly closer. His eyes were filled with pure male intent as he leaned down and I rose up to meet him. No sooner had our mouths touched and a piercing wail shattered the silence. Ignis was gone from my arms so quickly that I nearly fell face forward with the sudden lack of support. After righting myself I turned around just as Garrett's cries ceased to see Ignis lifting the small babe out of his crib. "He just woke up." Ignis explained while shifting Garrett within his hold. I stared at the small child that was own but didn't seem to care for me as well as the over adoring husband as he held said child. I had already known that Ignis would only lavish his attention on his son, so I huffed in defeat. "I can see that." I replied, moving to stand at his side to watch Garrett. Garrett reached his chubby hand upward toward his father. Ignis, not quite sure what Garrett wanted, leaned his head in closer and Garrett began to paw his father's nose and cheeks. I smiled when the babe tugged sharply on a fiery lock of hair that made Ignis grimace. Garrett laughed when Ignis tugged his hair out of his grip and the sound made us both smile. Ignis leaned down a bit more to place a kiss upon Garrett's forehead, earning him a delighted squeal from the baby. He looked over to me for a moment, slightly embarrassed of what he'd just done. The feeling soon passed from his mind when Garrett raised his hands in trying to catch the floating locks of his father's hair, much like a kitten with string.

I quietly watched this moment, making the effort to store this memory away so that I could treasure it. When Ignis said my name I snapped to attention. "What did you say?" I asked distractedly. "Garrett is hungry." he said. "You've got to be joking." I said to him. Ignis looked slightly confused and after a moment he spoke. "No he isn't joking, he is quite serious." Ignis answered. "You can talk to him? He can talk?!" I asked in shock. Ignis only smiled and shook his head. "He does not yet understand the concept of words, but he can read our feelings through our aura's and by watching our behaviors and actions he can determine the overall meaning of what we are saying." Ignis said. My jaw hung open slightly. "That is not normal... he shouldn't be able to understand anything beyond 'I am hungry' and 'I am sleepy.'" I said. Ignis frowned at me while answering, Garrett's expression matching his father's. "What did you expect from a demigod? He was intelligent even in the womb; his intelligence will only continue to grow as quickly as his growth." When Ignis finished speaking I looked over at my baby, my early worries of him not being accepted by the other villagers beginning to feel like an all too real possibility. "How will we explain him to the other villagers?" I asked. Ignis only sighed without answering. "Well?" I pushed. His eyes narrowed in annoyance but he answered. "That will be the one problem which I cannot help you with. I cannot tamper with the minds of every villager here without upsetting their connections between each other." he said. "What?" I asked. "If I suddenly planted a false memory of Garrett within their minds. It could distort their memories of the people within their lives, memories which have molded them as a person today." he explained.

"I suppose I'll think of something to say." I grumbled. This was going to be complicated, how could I possibly weave a lie clever enough to explain why Garrett was so large for a newborn infant that was born all too early to be normal? I jumped to attention when I noticed that Ignis was no longer standing beside me with Garrett. He was headed toward the kitchen and I turned and pulled him to a stop by grabbing onto his shoulder, not an easy thing to do when your husband is a hulking brute walking at full stride. Ignis had only stopped because he allowed me to. A brief acknowledgement passed in my thoughts. Ignis allowed me to do many things when it came to him that others would most likely burn to a crisp for daring. He could easily overpower me, with his powers and physically, the fact that he did not was in order to not frighten me. "That is not the only reason Hikari, I could easily hurt you with a slight touch, and I must keep my strength under control at all times." he said, adding on to my thoughts. I frowned up at him. "You can't hurt me that easily with just a touch." I said. Ignis shook his head, red eyes turning a darker hue. "If I hadn't stopped walking and shook your hand off, I could have broken your fingers or even your whole hand." he said.

I gulped slightly, eyes widening. "You're that strong? Then how do you keep from hurting me when you lose control?" I asked. Ignis's aura heated up as dirty thoughts crossed his mind. "There is only one instance in which I lack full control with you often, and I never lose complete control." he answered. "Well that is all very interesting, but let's get back to the topic at hand." I answered, my cheeks flaming with embarrassment. "Why are you headed to the kitchen?" I asked. "Garrett is hungry." he said. I shook my head, releasing his arm to go back to the crib and reach for the empty bottle. "He just ate; if I give him anymore he might get a stomach ache." I said. Ignis walked over to my side and shifted Garrett to one arm in order to take the bottle from me. After examining it for a moment he handed it back to me. "Garrett insists that he requires more sustenance." I rolled my eyes and headed back over to the kitchen, placing the used bottle in the sink as I opened one of the cabinets to grab a clean one. "Don't blame for if he gets chubby." I said while reaching into another cabinet to grab the container of powdered baby formula. I pulled the lid off and scooped the powder twice into the bottle before filling it with water from the tap. After screwing on the lid I shook it for a few moments before handing it back to Ignis.

"What is that?" I asked as Hikari shook the bottle till the liquid turned completely white. I took the strange white substance when she handed it to me. "Baby formula." she answered. I held Garret awkwardly in one arm, the babe protesting slightly as I rested him against my shoulder in order to free both hands. I twisted the top off of the bottle and stared at its contents. I held it up to my eyes and frowned as the white mixture sloshed within its container. "This is what human infants eat?" I asked. I brought the rim of the bottle to my nose and sniffed the concoction. I grimaced in response and held the bottle outwards till she took it from my hand. "What's wrong?" she asked with a puzzled expression while taking the lid from me and twisting it back on. "The contents of that bottle are disgusting; I will not have our son drinking something so repulsive." I answered. Hikari frowned at me. "He had no problem drinking it earlier." she protested. "Perhaps that is because it was the only thing available at the time." I answered, shifting Garrett once more to rest in both hands when he became squirmy. Hikari shrugged and turned back into her kitchen to open the fridge and place the bottle within. "I can always order another brand. It might take a week or so for a shipment to make it to here from the mainland so..." her voice cut off when I interrupted her. "He will eat none of it." I said. Hikari turned to peer at me from her place in front of the fridge. "Then what do you propose we feed our bouncing baby boy oh Almighty Harvest King?" she asked. I ignored her condescending tone. "What else to feed a child but a mother's milk?" I asked. Hikari didn't seem to grasp at the meaning of my words, for she carried on talking. "Cow, goat, and sheep milk do not have the proper nutrition for a baby, that's why I bought formula but you say that he won't eat it. So I don't know about you, but I am stumped on what to feed him." Hikari continued to blather on and I honestly didn't hear a word as my irritation escalated. I cut her off when she didn't seem to realize that I was becoming impatient. "I meant your milk Hikari."I snapped. Garrett stuck out his lower lip in a pout as he read my negative emotions.

Hikari paused for a moment to think, and as I often did I gave her no hint as to what I wanted her to figure out on her own. After a ridiculous amount of time her eyes widened in realization and she looked at me as if I were a giant three eyed bug. "You mean... you want me to... that I have to feed him by... but..." Hikari stuttered about for a few moments longer and was unable to finish her words. "Breastfeeding?" I suggested. "Breastfeeding?" she repeated in a low voice, as if to speak the word were a taboo. Hikari's breathing seemed to increase for some strange reason and her face flushed red with anger. "No way!" she exclaimed loudly. My eyes widened in surprise by her outburst. "Why are you behaving this way Hikari?" I asked in concern. "Because b... breast..." she once again stuttered about like a fool. "Breastfeeding." I said for her. "Yes! That!" she answered, as if the very word explained the whole meaning behind her actions. "What about it?" I asked. "It's weird!" she replied while walking to the kitchen table and sitting down. "Breastfeeding is perfectly natural, how do you think animals feed their young?" I asked. "I'm not an animal." she snapped. "Technically you are, just more intelligent than the others." I answered while walking toward her, rocking Garrett in my arms as he became increasingly upset from the negative energy filling the air. Hikari stood from her chair and made her way back to the fridge, pulling out the bottle and turning just as I closed the distance between us. "Hikari." I said. "I'm not doing it." she snapped while closing the fridge with one hand. She shoved the bottle toward me but I refused to take it. "Hikari you are his mother." I felt like I was scolding a stubborn child. "I don't want to do it." she said while defiantly shaking the bottle in front of my face. Annoyed, I waved my hand and the bottle disappeared from her fingers. "What did you do with it?!" she asked in anger. "Gone. Now feed our son!" I said while holding Garrett out to her.

"My mother didn't breastfeed me when I was a baby." she protested. "That is why you're short." I replied. Hikari glared at me but refused to say anything more on the matter. I sighed in annoyance. "Hikari you are his mother and he is your son. Garrett is hungry and you have the ability to provide for his proper nutrition. Now," I said while forcing a none too pleased Garrett into Hikari's hands, "feed him." Hikari and Garrett had a brief staring contest, staring at each other like two territorial cats that just spotted each other. When Garrett began to whimper she spoke. "I'm not the only parent." she grumbled. "You are his mother." I said. "You're his father." she countered. "I am the male parent." I answered. Hikari heaved a great sigh and shifted Garrett into one arm while going to one of the drawers in the kitchen. She slid open a drawer and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a medium blue towel. When she walked past me and toward the door to the vacant room I moved to follow her. Hikari raised a hand and placed it on my chest as she stopped in front of the closed door. "Don't follow me." she growled. "Why not?" I asked. "Because what I am about to do is weird!" she yelled with sudden hostility before slamming the door in my face. I stood momentarily stunned before calling out to her. "Hikari?" I asked. "Don't come in here!" she snarled from the other side of the door. "It's perfectly natural!" I yelled back before stepping away from the door and taking a seat on the couch. After ten minutes of sitting in silence I stood and began to pace, each back and forth step bringing me closer to the door. Each impulse I had to open the door and walk into the other room, Hikari would respond my almost growling through our mental connection. More time passed and on my next attempt to open the door I was met with no hostility from Hikari's thoughts. Curious, I reached for the knob and opened the door. Hikari's thoughts were silent as I entered the room and closed the distance between us. She stood upon a stray stool that didn't match the furniture of the rest of the house, so therefore it had been exiled to the other room. Her back was presented to me and she had the towel draped over her shoulder for modesty as Garrett suckled. "It's pretty pathetic that she only time he tolerates me is when I he is sleeping or eating." she commented. I glanced down at her to see a slight smile on her face.

"He will adjust." I told her, leaning with one hand on the back of the chair and my other resting on her shoulder. After a few minutes Garrett became content and Hikari quickly righted herself, preparing to hand Garrett over to me before he could begin to cry. The moment Hikari's hands left him he began to squirm so much that he would have fallen from my hands if not for Hikari's quick action. "You naughty baby! What are we going to do with you?!" Hikari continued to scold Garrett until the babe settled within her grasp to get comfortable. He made a few grunting noises to make sure that we were thoroughly aware that he was unsatisfied, and with that he fell asleep with three tiny fingers in his mouth. "Your son is such a brat." Hikari said to me, glaring up from the chair. I smiled nervously, unsure if I was able to refute her statement. "He does have a bit of a temper I suppose." I answered. She grunted and stood up from the chair with Garrett asleep in here arms, a wide smile spreading across her face as Garrett remained asleep. "You know what this means do you not?" I asked as we walked together back to the other side of the house. "Hmm?" she asked distractedly as she had difficulty paying attention to anything other than Garrett. "Now that you aren't so against nursing, you cannot wander far from the ranch without him with you." I said, waiting to see how she'd react. Her expression darkened for a moment, but as she gave it more thought her attitude brightened once more. "I don't think I'll mind that very much." she replied, nodding to herself as if to confirm her own words.

My next few days were normal, if you called having an Immortal husband in your brain and at the beck and call of his ill-tempered offspring while working a ranch normal. However, I am well practiced in the art of accommodating to sudden change and soon I found a new rhythm to my day, the same sort of contentment settling over me that I was glad for. I knew that my life was hectic, but I wouldn't change a thing. While Ignis played atop his mountain I proceeded to reclaim my ranch, slowly clearing out tenacious weeds that somehow survived the freezing bite of winter. As I grasped my sickle within one gloved hand and the weed in the other, the baby monitor attached to my belt loop sounded. I stood up slowly for Ignis continually layered me in winter clothes if I didn't do it myself, but I was slowly becoming used to moving like a penguin. I reached for the monitor and held it a little closer to my ear, shoving aside on of my earmuffs in irritation in order to listen more closely. Garrett was making small, strange noises that's meaning I was unsure of. Is he hungry again?I asked Ignis. I cannot say exactly what he wants, but it involves you.He answered. How do you know?I asked. He keeps repeating images of you within his mind. Ignis replied. I shrugged and moved the baby monitor back to its place on my hip as I headed back toward the house. Once I walked inside I placed the sickle inside my tool chest, locking it to make absolutely sure it was baby proof. After removing my gloves, earmuffs, and scarf I moved over to the crib and peered inside it. Surprisingly Garrett was sitting up on his own with only a little support from the bars of the crib keeping him upright. He had something orange and shimmering within his tiny hands. Garrett was squeezing it and making angry little grunts and when he spotted me he held his fisted little hands out to me as if you prove something. "What's that you got there?" I asked him in a silly cooing voice. A very familiar look of irritation crossed his small face as he held out his small arms, nearly falling onto his side in his insistence that I take whatever it was from him.

Suddenly the suspicious orange blob began mumbling and I gasped in realization. I held out one hand and Garret slapped his tiny fists into my palm, releasing his prize and looking up at me with shining eyes, proud of his catch. I smiled as brought the small sprite to eye level; Finn was shaking in fright, his orange hat and green hair disheveled. "What are you doing here?" I asked my smile fading. Finn did his best to right himself before answering. "I came to see the Little King!" he said excitedly, if that was reason enough. "And who invited you?" I asked bitterly. Finn seemed slightly wounded, his small eyes becoming pinched in the corners. "I'm not welcome?" he asked. I sighed and carried the small sprite over to the kitchen table. Garrett made an angry little squeal as I walked away with his prize. After setting Finn down on the table I walked back to the crib taking Garrett's small hand in my own. "Very good Garrett!" I said, a bright smile on my face. Garrett seemed to puff out his chest a little, his haughty expression transformed into an all too familiar arrogance. I grabbed a binky from my rucksack and stuck it in his mouth. Satisfied that Garrett was now occupied I went back to the table and sat down in front of Finn. The small sprite wiped his nose as he sniffled slightly. "You're not unwelcome but you came into my home uninvited." I said sternly. "But why do I need to ask you? I never had to until now!" he protested. "That's because I haven't seen you for months Finn. Heck it's almost been a year since you last stayed a whole day here. I thought the Goddess's Spring was your home now." I said. Finn floated slightly in the air, his wings making a strange humming noise as they flapped. It had been so long that the sound was no longer familiar to my ears. "The Harvest King hasn't spoken to the Goddess in quite some time to she was worried and asked me to check up on you." Finn explained. My frown must have become more severe, because he went from perky to sullen. "If the Goddess wanted to know about Ig... the Harvest King then why did you come here?" I asked. Finn twiddled his thumbs and didn't answer me, a guilty expression on his face.

"Finn." I insisted. The sprite began to cry and I felt a little guilty for being mean to him. "I just wanted to see how you were too! The Harvest King sent me down the mountain when I went to see him!" as Finn continued to blubber about I contacted Ignis. Did you really? I asked. I merely sent him back to the spring. Ignis replied. A brief memory of the Harvest King watching a current of air he had summoned hurtling Finn down the mountain face came to my mind. You bully.I admonished. Ignis gave a sort of mental shrug. My business is none of his concern.He said. I promised to scold Ignis for his bullying later and returned my attention to Finn. "How long have you been here?" I asked him. Finn wiped his eyes before answering. "About twenty minutes." he said. "Twenty minutes?! I was outside, why did you come into the house?" I asked, my voice rising. "Well..." Finn said, once more sounding guilty. "I saw a really bright light like the Harvest King's in your house as I was on my way to see you, but it was smaller, so I wanted to know what it was." he confessed while floating a little higher into the air. "Well there he is." I answered. "You never said anything about being pregnant!" he squeaked out. My eyes widened in surprise. "The Goddess didn't tell you? I was sure that Ignis told her, I just haven't been to see her in a long time." I replied, suddenly confused. "She never said anything to me or the other sprites." Finn said, pouting. "What is his name?" he asked. I smiled, turning to watch Garrett now dozing in his crib. "His name is Garrett." I answered. "I can't wait to tell the Goddess that you and the Harvest King really had a baby!" he said excitedly while shimmering in a cloud of yellow sparkles. I grabbed him by his small leg and yanked him down. "You won't be the one to tell her." I said while releasing him and standing up from the chair. "Huh?" he asked while floating beside my head. I made my way over to the dresser and rummaged around in the baby clothes before finding what I needed.

I placed the clothes on the bed and went over to the crib, lifting Garrett out of it. "Time to get dressed." I said cheerfully. I frowned as an odd smell floated up my nose. "After I change you." I said. After cleaning Garrett up I handed the used and wrapped up diaper out to Finn. "If you're here you work." I said. Finn frowned but grasped the top of the diaper with his small hands. Grumbling about how gross babies could be all the way to the waste basket beside the trashcan in the kitchen. I changed Garrett out of his tiny footsie pajamas and slipped a baby sized sweater and pants on him. I covered his feet with small, warm socks and then slid a tiny hat upon his head to keep his ears warm. The hat was a soft pure white with little cat ears and buttons for eyes and a nose sewn into the front. I remembered how Ignis was appalled by the sight of it when I had returned from the tailors with clothes fit for a baby earlier in my pregnancy. "My son will not wear such a ridiculous thing." he'd said. I smiled at the memory and turned from Garrett to retrieve a small but warm blanket from the bed and I wrapped it around him before picking him up, grabbing my discarded gloves and scarf on the way to the door. "Are you coming?" I called to Finn. The small sprite quickly bobbed into the air and followed me outside. Garrett didn't care for the cold air very much, but the sky was clear and the sun was shining upon the snow and turned the white powder into millions of tiny gems. I held Garrett close and tucked the blanket around him to ward off the chill. I heard thunder boom through the sky so loudly that the very air shook. I quickly looked up to the sky but it was still clear, not a cloud in sight. Where do you think you are going?!Ignis yelled within my mind, making my brain ache within my skull. There is no need to yell, I was just...Ignis cut me off, his unexplained fury driving into my mind and burning with his anger. You are leaving the house with our son who is still too young to be outside, much less in this weather!I groaned under the mental onslaught, a migraine forming. He is fine Ignis. He is dressed properly and I am going to the Goddess Spring, it is always warm there.And with that I gave a great mental shove and cast his angry thoughts away from mine. I could feel his anger through our connection but he refused to barge on my mental doors.

By the time I reached the Goddess Spring my head was throbbing so much that I stumbled a bit. After righting myself I passed through the tall grass that led down into the forest and to the Goddess Spring. Garrett had remained quiet through the whole way, small eyes opened wide in astonishment at the world around him. Once we passed the by the giant and aged marble pillars that marked the entrance to the Spring the air instantly became warmer. Not a speck of snow existed within this place, the grass vibrant and green, and the clear water of the springs a bright and vivid blue. I walked up the small flight of stairs and entered the clearing. The Goddess was kneeling on the ground in front of the sprites, telling them something I couldn't hear from this distance, but when she spotted me her eyes instantly lit up. Rising, she walked toward me with her hands raised, ready to hug me. "Hikari!" she exclaimed, hugging me, a sea of green filling my vision. Garrett struggled between us and the Goddess stepped back in surprise, gazing down at the squirmy bundle in my arms. "Is that...?" she whispered. I nodded and moved the blanket so that the Goddess could have a better look at him. She leaned in hesitantly, eyes widening as she gazed down at Garrett. The little guy had yet to notice to Goddess, busily glaring at me and waving his tiny fists in the air at me. When he did notice his eyes lost that mean little look and they opened wide in astonishment. He took in the Goddess from his limited view and they had a brief staring contest. "He is so tiny. I've never been this close to a baby before." the Goddess mused, smiling softly when Garrett seemed to shy into my arms as she spoke. "Would you like to hold him?" I asked her. The Harvest Goddess seemed flustered and put a hand to her lips. "I don't know... what if I drop him? He is so small and... He moves quite a bit." she observed. I rolled my eyes and tugged the blanket away from Garrett, placing it on the soft grass beside me. I pretty much forced the Goddess to take him because I held him outward and did not back away until she raised her hands. She held him away from her body and gazed from him and back to me uncertainly.

"I do not know if..." she mumbled. "Here, place your hand behind his neck and the other on his back... use your arm to keep his legs up... just like that!" I said to her. The Goddess held Garrett awkwardly but securely. "He looks very much like his father." she observed. I nodded, picking up the blanket beside me and folding it. "He has the same temperament to." I said while making my way over to the tree. I looked around the roots of the great tree but could find no sign of the other Harvest Sprites. "Edge?" I called. When he didn't answer I tried again. "Hello? Edge, Alan?" I said. Shrugging when I still had no answer I sat down and leaned against the tree, rubbing my palms against my temples. "Are you well?" the Goddess asked as she joined me, sitting down slowly and righting Garrett within her arms. Suddenly he began to laugh loudly, reaching up to tug at the Goddess's hair. Her green eyes filled with strange warmth at the sound and she smiled at me. "I see you were serious about the red-haired spawn." she teased while fingering a thin lock of red hair that had escaped Garrett's cap. "Indeed I was Auntie Harvest Goddess." We both shared a soft laugh until my head pounded again and I groaned. The Goddess raised one hand and touched my forehead with the tip of one elegant finger. I felt a sort of cold relief and my headache soon vanished. "Thanks." I sighed in relief. "How is the Harvest King?" she asked. I frowned. "Being grumpy as usual, it was thanks to him that I had a headache." I grumbled. "He was angry with you?" she asked. "When is he not angry, he got mad when I decided to bring Garrett here? He thought that I couldn't handle it or something." I huffed and then quickly removed a lock of green hair from Garrett's hand. "There is something about hair that gets him all grabby." I complained. "I do not mind..." she grimaced when Garrett managed to get a bit more hair and tugged at it. "That much." she finished before removing her hair from the infants grasp once more. "What is his name?" she asked me. "Well his name is..." I trailed off when the air suddenly became a lot warmer. I started to sweat under my winter clothes and I felt the hairs on my neck stand up in warning. "His name is Garrett."Ignis said. "Brother." the Harvest Goddess said calmly. "Sister." he answered from behind me. I grumbled low to myself and turned to him. "Now just stay calm and let me explain." I said while turning body around from on the ground.

When my eyes met his I would have leaped backward if I hadn't been sitting. They were glowing a bright orange, his aura rising higher around him like a fire that suddenly had gasoline poured onto it. "I'm listening." he said in an ironically calm voice. "Just make sure you don't fry me once you're done listening." I said. "Hikari..." the Goddess warned. "I just brought Garrett here to meet the Goddess. Besides, I haven't seen her or the sprites for months and I thought that I might as well bring Garrett so..." Ignis cut me off with a sharp flick of his hand, a small burst of heat spreading through the clearing. "Is that all?"he asked. "Well if you let me finish talking for once then I will tell you when I am done." I snapped at him, my own anger rising. "What's wrong with the Goddess meeting Garrett?" I asked angrily, rising to my feet despite a worried hand that the Harvest Goddess had placed on my arm. "Are you trying to say that she can't see our baby?" I asked. "I said no such thing, I had absolutely no intention to keep an Aunt from her nephew, however you came here without my consent and..."it was my turn to cut him off, a switch automatically flipped within me, my hurt pride coming to the surface. "Without your consent?!" I asked, my voice rising. Ignis had been expecting my anger for he responded just as loudly. "Yes! You decided to take our newborn son outside in the winter. If you don't remember I told you that he is not to be outside until he is strong enough to withstand the harsh conditions of the season."When he finished I was fuming. "He is just fine! If you haven't noticed our child doesn't exactly have a normal body temperature for one and since you are blind let me point something else out. He is wearing everything that involves being warm in order to 'withstand the harsh conditions of the season'" I said mockingly. Ignis took a brief moment to glance at Garrett within the Goddess's arms, a brief acknowledgement in his eyes that I spoke the truth. "Well?" I snapped when he didn't respond as quickly as I would have liked. Ignis's gaze returned to mine, his anger barely restrained. "You did not have my consent." he repeated. I stomped up to him, not noticing when the Goddess said my name and Garrett began to make those little grunts he did when he was angry or displeased. "Without your consent, I think you mean permission." I spat the word out at him, beyond any thought of self-preservation at this point.

When I was close enough to be able to reach out and touch him he spoke. "Exactly." he said. I yelled in outrage and shoved at his chest, not even rocking him back a little with the action. "You are such an arrogant bastard! You think I need your permission for something as trivial as taking our son for a walk?You are so damn overprotective it's ridiculous! The Goddess and I were having a perfectly good time until you showed up, isn't that right?" I asked, turning my head to look back at her over my shoulder. The Harvest Goddess seemed a little nervous about being targeted, her eyes glancing between Ignis and I. "I... this is a matter between you two." she said before quickly turning her attention back to Garrett. I rolled my eyes and faced Ignis once more. He was glaring at me angrily, his voice like a hot poker in my brain as he spoke with his thoughts. This is a conversation we shall continue at the house. Go get Garrett so that we can go. I responded by giving him a mental shove out of my mind. I didn't block him from my thoughts, we had made a promise that I would never break, but it didn't mean I had to hear him in my noggin when I didn't want to. "Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of the Harvest Goddess." I snapped. "We will speak privately about this. Now." he said back, his words a hard of his as he spoke through clenched teeth. His aura grew hotter; at this point I wouldn't be surprised if steam came out of his ears like a cartoon character. "Now just a moment Harvest King..." the Goddess spoke sternly but her eyes were soft, uncertain. "You mustn't argue with Hikari like this, I understand I shouldn't interfere however..." Ignis cut her off as quickly as he had done to me earlier. "This is has nothing to do with you." he answered. The Goddess stiffened for a moment, speechless. I turned to get a better look at her, her normally bright eyes clouded with her negative emotions. Her eyes hardened with anger as she rose to her feet. "You are my brother and Hikari is my dearest friend and the mother of my nephew. It. Is. My. Concern." she walked to stand in front of the Harvest King with Garrett still in her arms, his small red eyes looking between the three of us. "You will not bring such anger to my Spring." she said with a forced calm. "As you wish sister, however I will take Hikari and Garrett with me." When his gaze returned to mine and I read the intent in his thoughts I nearly pounced on him. "Don't even try to order me." I warned.

The arrogant ass actually snorted and held out his hand to me. "Come." he ordered. I clenched my jaw and placed my gloved hand within his large palm, triumph shined in his eyes. It was fleeting for my other hand came up, balled into a fist as I punched him across the face. Ignis was momentarily stunned, but not thrown for a loop by my punch. My thoughts only soured more at that, apparently the only way to budge him was with a rock. "Get it through your thick head; I don't have to do what you want! I'm done talking to you Harvest King;go be a royal prick somewhere else." I may have sounded like a petulant child, but Ignis was way out of line this time. I could understand that he was overprotective when it came to Garrett, but this argument was about something else. Ignis's aura glowed brighter, engulfing him in a blinding red light until I was forced to look away. When I looked back he was gone, silent and remote on his side of our mental connection. "Drama queen." I muttered. The Goddess had already made her way back to the tree and I moved to do the same, taking my previous position on the ground beside her. "I do not think that was the best way to handle things." The Goddess said. "Well he was being an ass. Are you on his side or something?" I asked angrily. "I am not on anyone's side, Hikari. You and I both know how difficult he can be, but I don't think this will end well." she replied. "I am not apologizing for something I didn't do." I muttered. "And he will not apologize when he has it in his mind that he is in the right." the Goddess answered. "Well this is just going to be another standoff. I admit I might have overreacted, but I wasn't going to just sit here and take it when he tried to assert some ridiculous idea of authority over me." I said before taking Garrett when the Goddess offered him to me, the small babe wriggling in my arms until I positioned him into a sitting position on my lap with his back against my stomach and my hands wrapped around the small sides of his body.

"Where are the sprites?" I asked after a few minutes of silence in which I forced myself to calm down. "Hiding." The Goddess answered before glancing up at the tree. I followed her gaze to see six brightly colored hats poking out among the leaves of the tree. "Get down here you chickens." I called. Finn was the first to come down and instead of going to the Goddess he alighted on my shoulder and peered down at Garrett, a safe distance from the child's grabby hands. "Were you scared of the Harvest King?" I asked. Finn shook his head. "I wasn't scared!" he said proudly. I raised one eyebrow at the little orange sprite. "Then why were you hiding up there?" I asked. Finn didn't meet my gaze and he mumbled, "Maybe I was a little scared..." I looked back up to the tree and called to the other sprites. "Come on down." I said. One by one they clambered down the tree, Ben losing his grip and falling to bounce off of the Goddess's hair and into her lap. Alan landed on my other shoulder and Edge peered from around my foot to gaze at Garrett. "He looks a lot like the Harvest King." Collin observed from his perch atop my head a moment later. "Yes he does." I answered while raising Garrett up and kissing his forehead. "But he's the cute version." I laughed when Garrett glared at me and settled him back in my lap. Alan became bold and hopped down to stand on my knee, staring at Garrett with wonder. "I've never been so close to a demigod before." he whispered in awe. "He must be powerful and noble like his father!" Alan beamed. I snorted at the word noble, and Garrett seemed to not care at all. Alan toddled a little closer and Finn fidgeted from my shoulder. "I wouldn't do that if I were you..." he warned Alan. Garrett reached forward with one small hand and captured the red sprite within his fingers. I let Garrett play with Alan for a moment until he tried to put the sprite's head in his mouth. The infant wasn't too happy when I pried Alan from his grip and set him on the grass beside me. "Ew!" Alan whined once he took off his hat to shake the baby slobber off of it. "I told you." Finn muttered to himself Once Alan shook off his hat he attempted to put it back on but suddenly Collin snatched it from Alan and bounced off with it. "Give it back!" Alan squeaked while following Collin across the clearing. Soon the other sprites, including Finn, lost interest in Garrett and joined in Collin's game, tossing his hat around and keeping it out of his reach.

I watched Finn catch the hat and fly just out of Alan's reach, the only sprite able to fly. I laughed as I watched them but stopped once Garrett began to struggle in my grip. I peered down at him and the baby continued to struggle, twisting his little body in my hands and grunting in frustration when I didn't release him. "You want down?" I asked while placing him on his tummy in front of me. "Well there you go Mr. Grumpy." Garrett flailed his arms uselessly in the air for a few moments, making those little grunts and whines as he remained immobile. Suddenly he started to kick his little feet onto the ground, his foot slipping a few times before he figured out how to get some traction. While grabbing the grass in front of him he pulled himself a little closer by dragging his body across the ground. When Garrett became tired he banged his feet on the ground in anger because the sprites remained out of his reach. I laughed and leaned forward, grabbing his feet and turning him over onto his back. "You're not old enough to do that just yet." I smiled while looking down at him. Garrett's face turned red and he continued to wave his arms in the air. "Angry? Too bad." I told him. "He is..." the Goddess was at a loss for words. "A brat?" I asked. She smiled uncertainly. "Not the exact word I would use." she answered. I shrugged in response. "He is a brat, so is his father, the only difference is their sizes." I answered. Finn danced around in the air, golden little sparkles coming off his body as flew. Garrett raised his hands in the air to try and catch some of it, but is vanished as Finn moved farther away. Garrett grunted and rolled around on his back, sort of like a turtle, until he managed to flop on his belly. His eyes caught onto the sprite's game and he began to cry, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes and dripping down his cheeks. Troubled, I moved to pick him up but one of the Sprite's beat me to his side. Scaredy Sprite Edge hopped in front of Garrett and peered up at him. Garrett stopped his wails for a moment and sniffled, looking down at the purple sprite. "Don't cry." Edge said before jumping up onto Garrett's hat and dancing around. He hung off one of the hat's ears and laughed. Soon the other sprites joined in and clambered over Garrett in an attempt to find a perch. Finn dropped Alan's hat onto the ground in front of Garrett and flew around his head. He looked around at the sprites as they made a game of climbing over his small body, and Garrett began to laugh, his mouth opening as he giggled to himself and smiled at the sprites. My anger vanished at that moment and I was happy to watch Garrett play with his new friends.

For the next few days Ignis decided to be a jerk, and I was fine with that. I remained content in my anger towards him and went about my ranch as usual. The only times I would feel Ignis's presence increase within my mind was when his would check up on me using his "inner eye" or some other hoobie doo. You have to talk to me sometime.I told him within my mind. Ignis didn't respond as usual I and continued to huff around my ranch. After finished the last of my winter crops and tending to my animals inside the warmth of the barn, I decided to take Garrett for another visit to the Goddess Spring. Ignis might have refused to see me directly, his pride not permitting him to, but every time I would enter the house after a long day's work I would feel a small burst of heat as he left. He would visit Garrett while I was away and once he vanished he would leave an upset and angry little baby behind. You're being childish.I said at one point. I could feel his irritation rise at that comment but he held back the retort he had forming in his thoughts. You're only proving my point.I told him. Now remember how I told you Garrett would be a bit cranky once daddy left? Well guess who had to deal with said cranky baby afterward? That's right, me. After about another week of this it only got worse. Soon Garrett would cry without end, keeping me up in the night and no amount of hugging, feeding, or forced pacifiers could calm him. He would wail when I was out on the ranch, his cries coming through as shrill squeaks from the baby monitor strapped to my hip. While I tended to Kiwi a particularly loud squeak sounded and I covered my ears, the animals fidgeting in their stalls. I glanced down at the baby monitor while wondering if I should turn it down. Once it sounded again and my ears continued to ring I turned the volume down and sighed in relief from the silence. Once I was done with Kiwi I moved on the Grape, the small goat blinked at me with half-open eyes and nuzzled my hand when I petted her snout.

I tried to shake off the nagging thought in my head that something might be wrong or could go wrong. He was safely in his crib and crying, Ignis's would be watching him. There was no need for me to get so worked up just because I couldn't hear what he was doing, besides he had been giving me a headache and... I stopped in the middle of brushing the soft hair on Grape's back. The goat turned to me and peered at me for a moment as if to say, just do it already.I sighed and placed the brush down for a moment, twisting my torso around so that I could reach the small baby monitor and I turned the volume knob slowly. I was surprised when I didn't hear Garrett wailing, but instead I heard him laughing and Ignis's voice soon followed. I glanced over at Grape and turned the volume up a little higher, Garrett was laughing as Ignis made ridiculous cooing sounds, probably holding him up in the air or some other doting father nonsense. I smiled and leaned against one of the wooden posts that separated the stalls from one another. Having fun?I asked Ignis. The cooing sounds on the other end stopped abruptly but Garrett's giggling continued, probably finding amusement in some other fashion. After a moment his voice sounded in my head and it was an oddly pleasant relief to some sort of ache I hadn't been aware of... no I knew it had been there I'd just ignored it. I forgot about that strange device.He said. I snorted while pushing myself away from the wooden post and moving onto the next stall, opening the door and scooting around Lemon's large girth. I explained it to you before, it's a baby monitor. It lets me hear what Garrett is up to and what's going on around him.I explained while lifting a large pile of feed in my arms and filling the trough. Lemon accidentally shoved me against the side in her hurry to get to the food. I quickly righted myself and shoved at the cow's shoulder. Lemon scooted over a bit, shuffling sideways on her hooves to make me more room. I patted her large head and the longer, coarser hair atop her noggin in thanks. Moving to sit down on a stool I reached for a bucket and scooted it under her, dusting stray pieces of hay and dirt from the bottom of the metal base.

I admit that it is useful, however I do not like that it is intended for deceitful actions.He replied. Puzzled, I moved my hands beneath the cow and began milking her, the dull sounds of the bucket being filled soon became all I could hear without focusing. It's meant to listen in on the baby and not on conversations, although I do suppose it would come in handy for snooping.I moved onto the next task of pouring the contents of the bucket into a milk container and sealing the lid. I repeated the process with Apple and moved on to the next animal after her. I've become well used to speaking with Ignis and performing my chores at the same time. In the beginning I would have to stop right in the middle of any action just so I could understand him and not trip over my feet. I do not care for such things; humans have an annoying habit when it comes to another's business. Always fussing about and prying into things that are none of their concern. Ignis continued to prattle on and I waited for his haughty words to end before responding. Don't forget that I am one of those nosy humans you disdain so much.I said. Ignis was momentarily distracted by Garrett; the little brat had grabbed his father's earrings and nearly pulled them off. I do not view you with contempt Hikari, just the rest of your species.I scoffed in response, not that he could hear me of course, but my thoughts were clear enough for him to read. You disagree? He asked sarcastically. Oh indeed I do. I'd need three sets of hands and toes to count the number of things you dislike about me.

Ignis's thoughts took a sudden turn, becoming clouded with barely contained anger. I do not dislike anything about you; I just find certain… behaviors of yours to be increasingly annoying.I nearly dropped the bucket I was carrying over to an empty milk container. Oh,I'm annoying? What about you? Always bossing people about and getting all big-headed because you're the Harvest King. It's not that big a deal, there are other deities in this world you know and I'm sure they don't act as prissy as you do. Ignis bristled at that last comment. Prissy?!He answered. I'm so sorry; allow me to rephrase that for you. Huffy, pompous, big-headed, take your pick.I was headed outside the barn at that point and before I could process Ignis's last statement I turned to see a familiar purple head bouncing along the trail that led through my ranch. I bolted for the house and opened the door, slamming it behind me. Ignis was holding Garrett near his crib, an orange gleam across his eyes that showed me just how angry he was. I raised my hand when he opened his mouth to speak. "Not now, just shut up and answer the door and pretend I'm not here." I said. Ignis placed Garrett in his crib and walked past me, his robes and hair shifting as he walked. His stomped over to the door and his aura receded just before he reached for the knob. "This isn't over." He promised me. "Just shut up." I snapped before moving to the other side of the room and out of view. One second later there was a light tap on the door and Ignis opened the door. "Why hello King! Is Hikari in?" Julius asked brightly. "No." Ignis snapped before closing the door. Ignis turned to me and opened his mouth to continue where we left off. Another knock sounded and this times none too gently on the door. "I didn't quite catch that. Did you say Hikari is in?" Julius asked sweetly. "No." Ignis growled while attempting to close the door. Julius placed one booted foot into the doorway, preventing Ignis from closing it all the way. "I insist you let me see her, we've been so worried." Julius said sweetly while inching forward. Garrett moved about in his crib and I could see from my hiding place behind the door how his small brow scrunched up in anger, his cheeks puffing out. Don't cry, don't cry.I pleaded. "My wife is none of your concern, now leave." Ignis shoved the door more firmly than before, causing Julius to move his foot a little.

"Quite the bossy one aren't you? And so rude! You haven't even invited me in for something to drink like a polite host would do, and after I came all this way just to see you." Julius's tone sounded pouty and I didn't have to try hard to see an image of him sticking his bottom lip out as he frowned. "I thought you came to see Hikari." Ignis answered in slight confusion. Oh dear, I knew what was coming. "Oh that! Yes part of my reason for coming was to check up on Hikari but I also came here just to see you." Julius replied. "Huh?" Ignis's expression nearly sent me into a fit of laughter. "I'm sure you know just how much I love to visit my neighbors." Julius responded while placing a hand on Ignis's arm, taking a step into the house. He nearly leaped away from the door in his attempt to escape and I smacked my forehead. Julius stepped into the house and calmly shut the door, turning to me with a look of disapproval on his face. "Shame on you Hikari, hiding from your friends for so long, we were all so worried about you! You just up and left the clinic when you weren't feeling well and we all thought that maybe there were problems with the…" Julius's eyes drifted down to my stomach which was no longer inflated. He reached his hand forward in disbelief, prodding my stomach with one long finger. "You gave birth?!" he asked incredulously. "I… uh…" I muttered. "You had the baby without telling me?! I thought we were friends! I could have made you so many new baby clothes once I got the little thing's measurements and…" Julius stopped when Ignis attempted to intervene. "You should leave now…" Julius turned on him and released all of his purple haired fury.

"You expect me to just up and leave because you tell me to?!" Julius asked in outrage. "He has a habit of expecting everyone to do as he says." I commented. Ignis met my eyes for a moment. Whose side are you on?He asked incredulously. Not yours at the moment. I huffed. Julius looked over his shoulder to glare at me. "I'll get to you in a minute." He snapped before returning his gaze to Ignis. "The entire town has been worried and every polite attempt that we've made to figure out what the hell is going on has ended with you shutting the door in our faces." Julius was only getting started because before Ignis or I could say anything he turned on me. "Anissa was the last person before me to come by and check up on you, and it wasn't her first attempt was it?" he asked angrily. "Well I…" he slashed his hand through the air in a sort of cutting motion. "You stay quiet until I'm done young lady." I blinked, baffled that this flamboyant man was speaking to me as if I were an unruly teenager. "And then she came to me and asked if Candace or I had heard from you. Then she told me that you," Julius turned back to King and prodded him in the chest with one finger. It was actually pretty funny because Ignis towered over Julius and the Big Bad Harvest King took a step back to avoid him. "You slammed the door in her face! What sort of self-respecting man behaves so rudely towards a young woman? One with no manners I tell you! So I had to come all the way here because I am apparently the only person on this island that you are afraid of." Ignis righted himself and tried his best to be intimidating, which wasn't hard if you were nearly seven feet tall and angry. "I am not afraid of…" Ignis stumbled backward again as Julius moved forward and got up close and personal with my husband. "Sure you aren't." he said with a sweet smile. I cleared my throat to get the two male's attention. "Julius quit scaring King, if you just let me explain…" I was cut off once again by Julius. "Oh you're not going to just explain it to me, both of you will tell the others exactly why you've been hiding out like a bunch of fugitives. What could possibly be so important that you would have to hide from the entire town and have your husband bully your friends away from you? Do you honestly think that anything is so important to keep from the entire…?" Julius's eyes widened when he suddenly remembered I was no longer pregnant, and the little cry of frustration that Garrett gave off from his crib didn't help. All this excitement going on in the house and he wasn't a part of it. Julius moved quickly across the living room to the crib and reached into it. Whatever caused Ignis to be so frightened of Julius was quickly kicked to the side as he shifted into overprotective daddy mode. He made to stomp over to Julius but I quickly blocked his path and glared up at him. "It's fine." I snapped. He was none too happy about it, but he backed off while keeping a watchful eye on Julius.

Julius swung the infant up from the crib and held him out. "Look at the little thing!" Julius practically squealed. He fawned over Garrett for several more minutes and the kid could do nothing but stare at Julius with a blank expression. I smiled to myself as I watched the scene play out before. After a few more minutes Garrett's eyes squinted at the corners and I thought he was about to cry, but instead he closed his eyes and began laughing as Julius baby talked him. Ignis stood beside me with his mouth slightly open in disbelief. The stupid look on his face was too much and I began laughing. He immediately snapped out of it and redirected his eyes to glare at me. "What are you laughing about?" He snapped. I looked up at him while clutching my stomach and half bent over from laughing so hard. It was difficult to breathe so my words came in short spurts. "You're… face!" I yelled and proceeded to lose my wits. Julius soon returned to me once I gained a little composure. Garrett was climbing about in Julius's arms and making grabs for brightly colored locks of hair. "He looks nothing like you." Julius said to me, making my mirth fade. "Yeah I know." I grumbled. "He looks too much like your husband; he might even develop that same glare once he gets a bit older." He continued. "I am right here." Ignis said. Julius didn't even glance away from the baby when he answered him. "Oh I know, but I am still angry at you and don't feel like getting yelled at. Why don't you go burn a hole in the door with that nasty scowl of yours?" he asked lightly. Ignis did indeed scowl only this time at me and haughtily left the room, walking outside of the house and slamming the door. "Must you make him angrier than he already is?" I asked in exasperation. It was a never-ending cycle of aggravation around here.

"Oh don't give me that look. He deserved it and you know it. I already know there was a fight brewing between you two before I got here. Besides, we can't have any negative emotions around the baby. Can we widdle guy?" Julius cooed and was rewarded by a loud giggle from Garrett. Julius bounced him in the air for a bit and Garrett waved his arms and laughed excitedly. "What did you name him?" he asked. "His name is Garrett." I answered. On cue the baby immediately turned his attention my way and I was surprised when he reached his hands out and made grabby motions with his fingers. He gave a grunt of displeasure when I didn't immediately respond to his demands. Julius only laughed when I took Garrett into my arms and held him so that he could see both of us. "I suppose it's not too bad that looks like his father." Julius grumbled. I bounced Garrett in my arms a bit to keep him occupied. "I don't think it's a bad thing at all." I answered while catching Garrett's hand before he could grab my face. "Seriously? He already has his father's temperament, having a small King around the town will be a nightmare." He complained. "Oh King isn't that bad, besides, it just means will have two handsome men running around wont we?" I asked Garrett. He clapped his hands together when I pressed my forehead against his. "Two hot heads more like and what do you mean by handsome?" Julius asked. "Oh of course he is good-looking, he is the Har…" I caught myself in the nick of time. "The what?" Julius asked. "The… hard working husband I love of course?" I asked. "Last time I checked you do all the work around here. In fact I never even saw your husband around the island. Where does he go? He can't possibly stay in the house every day and not come out." Julius went on. I was quickly becoming nervous and thinking of ways to explain. "Um… he helps me on the ranch to, he spends most of his time in the barn and…" Julius wasn't buying it. "I always thought there was something odd about him." He mused. "What's odd about him?" I asked casually, as if my husband wasn't different than any other person. "What aren't you telling me?" Julius asked. Damn. "So what kind of baby clothes were you going to design for me?" I asked. "Nice try but that won't work this time." He replied. I pursed my lips into a pout before I spoke. "Oh really? I suppose I'll just ask Luna for something." I said with a shrug. Julius's jaw opened so suddenly I feared that it might have unhinged. "I will not have that innocent child suffer such a fate!" he exclaimed before asking if I had paper and something to draw with.

By the time Julius left I was feeling drained and ready for some sleep, but there was no rest for the wicked and right as I was climbing into bed Ignis poofed into the house. "Here we go…"I muttered low to myself. "You're right about that." Ignis growled while stalking over to me. "Can this wait till tomorrow? I'm tired and don't have the energy for this." I yawned. "This cannot wait till tomorrow. This is a serious matter and we will discuss it in the here and now." He answered. I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to do what you tell me to, now good night." I snapped before lifting the blankets and unceremoniously tossing my body into the bed. I turned my back to him and huddled into a ball with my butt sticking out so he couldn't scoot in beside me, although he didn't seem to be in the mood to stay with me. "Hikari get up this instant." He demanded. "No." I answered petulantly. Ignis tried to yank the covers off of me but I rolled myself into a burrito and refused to budge. He threw his hands into the air and stomped a short distance away from me. "You are so infuriating! You never do what your told even when it's in your best interest!"Ignis struggled to keep the volume of his voice down because Garrett was sleeping soundly in his crib. I rolled about in my cocoon until I was facing him from the bed. "Do as I'm told? You're not my father Ignis and I won't be ordered about because you think I don't know what's good for me." I snapped at him. He was seriously pissing me off. "That's exactly it Hikari, you don't know what is best for you." He answered. "And you do?" I asked sarcastically. "Yes!" he yelled. "So you're saying I'm stupid?" I asked in a heated whisper. "I never said that." He answered. "You might as well have with all the lectures you've been giving me and trying to be all controlling." I said, completely unrolling from my blankets and sitting half way up in the bed. "Stop jumping to conclusions Hikari." Ignis said in a tone as if he were correcting a toddler for doing something bad. "Stop looking down on me already Ignis! Control is the one thing you are after and it's the one thing I won't give."I snapped.

Ignis crossed the room in a small burst of light. He yanked me up by my arm from the bed and forced my head up with one hand underneath my chin. His eyes were a flat, almost solid red as his gaze met mine. "You are mine. Because of this you will give me whatever I ask for when I ask of it."His voice sounded distant, a trickle of fear traveled up my spine and made me shiver. "Why do you want to control me so much?" I whispered. Ignis narrowed his eyes and brought our faces closer. "Because I wish to claim you."He answered. "But you already have." I mumbled. "No not entirely. I have your heart and I have your soul. I do not have your freedom.""And you want it that badly?" I asked. He nodded, his hand shifted from my chin to slowly slide his fingers down my throat, pausing to caress the racing pulse with one finger below my jaw line. "You have the power to take it, so why haven't you?" I asked. "I want it given willingly. I want you to look at me and abandon all that is yours, to give everything to me." Suddenly his hand moved to grasp the back of my neck and his arm wrapped around my back to lift me up and align my body with his. With a snarl he claimed my mouth, hot and hard and powerful. I gasped under the onslaught and could do nothing to fight back. I lost myself in the heat of his intensity and felt passion build with in me. My anger was tossed aside with wild abandon as I lost myself momentarily. Soon I felt light-headed and struggled a bit within his grasp. Ignis lifted his head for a fraction of a second, letting me gulp much-needed air before slanting his mouth back over mine. I felt the hard lines of his body seeming to brand me as he pulled me closer, as if the closer we got the more he could take.

Something deep down in me wanted to give the rest of myself to him, an unpredictable urge to relinquish my control. A jolt of fear went through me as this feeling became stronger. Give him control? No, I couldn't do it. Ignis seemed to read my thoughts because his eyes opened slightly to meet mine, they were clouded from passion and his thoughts were hazy. Hikari?He asked. I felt his touch gentle just then, the rigid cast to his body becoming relaxed against me as he became calmer. His mouth left mine to briefly press his lips against the side of my neck. I felt his teeth dig sharply into the tender flesh and I jerked slightly from the pain. "What the hell Ignis?" I muttered. He ran his tongue over the small hurt as an apology before our mouths met once more. Become mine Hikari, completely.I felt his possessiveness intensely and was frightened that I didn't reject it. Such intimacy between our bodies, our minds, our souls… could I really give up the last thing I had? Hell, with the way he was touching me I'd probably give him anything.

Hikari's thoughts were timid and in response I growled low in my throat with impatience. Why couldn't she just give me what I wanted? Damn infuriating woman. I didn't really know why I was demanding it of her so suddenly. Since our minds first met I'd known that it was the one thing that she didn't give me and I never asked her of it. It was different now. I was so frustrated with all of the sudden changes. Everything was happening so quickly, our lives were changed and our son was a blessing, but I could find no rhythm within this new life. Hikari changed pace so quickly, it was so easy for her to move and change so freely.I had no influence over how she moved or what she decided to do. Why do I feel this way? I bit down on her neck, digging my teeth enough to leave a small mark. When I pulled away it was already a swollen red and I smiled to myself. It was only right to mark what was mine. Not completely mine.There was that thought again. Repeating itself in my mind and refusing to allow me some peace among my thoughts. It was so persistent that my thoughts became obsessive. I no longer thought about my words and actions before doing, and it was a never ending cycle of angry outbursts that caused us to distance ourselves from each other only to clash when we came close. I only became more annoyed because of the distance, but I couldn't stop my frustration and I didn't know why. Something was causing this unrest within me and could not pinpoint its source. Hikari's hand drifted to my cheek, her touch beckoning me to meet her eyes. They were questioning and asking me something I could not answer. Ignis… why are you making that face? She asked me. I am angry. I answered simply. Hikari shook her head, her hand drifted to my jaw to keep my face from moving away from hers. It's different. I've seen you angry Ignis. And I mean I've seen you really angry before but… you look almost frustrated. She said, her thoughts softening with concern. They are nearly the same thing. I answered before releasing her from my arms and turning my back to her. I knew this irritated her but she didn't voice it. They are not the same Ignis, and I don't mean you seem frustrated by what just happened. Hikari maintained the mental conversation even though we were no longer facing each other. Shrugging off her observation with a twinge of discomfort I walked past her and over to Garrett's crib, looking for a reason to do something. She made a sort of mental tapping against my mind, much like if she were snapping her fingers to get my attention.

What? I asked irritably. What is the real reason you've been a bigger ass than usual lately? She asked while joining me at my side. I already gave you an answer. I replied. Hikari grabbed my shoulder and tried to turn my body toward her. "But you don't believe that." She persisted. "Why do you want to know so badly?" I asked. "Why do you want to, 'Have my freedom' and such?" she asked back. I frowned and tried my hardest not to grind my teeth before answering. "Don't answer a question with a question." I said. "That's what you just did. Now I don't know what this is all about. Usually you give me a direct answer but you keep avoiding the question as if…" her eyes widened in realization. "You don't know?" she asked in disbelief. I shrugged and tried not to sound embarrassed. "I don't see what the fuss is." I said. "Yeah but… you don't know?" she repeated. "It sounds the same no matter how many times you say it." I growled. Hikari ignored that and set her mind to work. "What is it that could upset the ever stoic Harvest King?" she mused out loud. I grunted at her taunt and continued to roll the issue inside of my own mind. "Has there been a change in the world's energy?" she asked. "The energy of the world is always changing; keeping it balanced is the task I've taken on." I answered. I turned to look at her when she didn't say anything further, she had her hand under her chin as she though, staring unseeing into the farther wall. "What do you mean you've 'taken it on'? You make it sound like you've picked up someone else's work load." She said. "My task is to provide life energy to sustain the flow as well as to keep the flow balanced. It is the responsibility of others to maintain control over the elemental energies." I answered. She placed a hand on my shoulder and didn't remove it till I turned to face her. "You've been doing someone else's job?" she asked. I nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Are you getting tired from it then? Running on empty? Is it hard to control both energies?" she asked. I shook my head to all of these questions. "I don't see where you are going with this." I sighed. "Just explain it to me." She snapped.

"I have unlimited energy. I cannot tire in the sense that humans do, and I have no difficulty controlling both kinds of energy because elemental energy is originally life energy, just changed in order to provide for the elements." I answered. "So you literally have control over all energies?" she asked in awe. I felt a stroke of pride while answering. "Yes, but I cannot maintain both at one time without causing imbalances in both energy flows, and even a slight change can be hazardous if not quickly rectified." I continued. "Then why now have you been acting this way, why not long ago when you were first summoned?" she asked. I felt her thoughts shift a bit to our first encounter; Hikari shifted her hand to touch her throat but caught the action and stopped. I reached my hand out and gently grasped the base of her throat in the tips of my fingers, caressing the spot slowly. "I am sorry for that." I said quietly. I felt her face flush when I didn't move my hand. She cleared her throat and I let my hand fall back to my side. "If you've been able to handle it all this time, what is happening now?" she asked. I opened my mouth to answer but she cut me off. "More importantly, are the ones responsible for the elemental energy doing something to alter it? Are you having a negative effect from the other end of the connection?" she asked. I blinked and went silent. I stood there for a long time, all the pieces falling into place in the back of my mind, resounding in my thoughts like a rock dropped into the bottom of a deep well. "Ignis?" I head Hikari's worried voice break into my train of thought. She was tugging at my robes and grazing her mind across my own. She breathed a sigh of relief when I lifted my hands to hers. "Don't go quiet on me like that." She said while squeezing my hands. "Winter is almost at an end." I said. Hikari's eyebrows lowered in slight confusion. "Yeah, it's almost the New Year." She answered, mistaking my statement for a question. Her eyes remained on me, the lines in her brow deepening with her concern. "What aren't you telling me?" she asked. I felt her concern change with a sharp edge from her aggravation, the complex emotions churning my mind. "Stop that." I growled at her.

"What?" she asked now confused. I felt a sharp pain in the base of my skull. "Stop." I said again, that pain increasing and coming to the front of my mind. Hikari squeezed my hands tighter and attempted to deepen her thoughts within my own. "Where does it hurt?" she asked while trying to soothe me. The deeper her mind went the more that ache increased until it was nearly unbearable. The throbbing in my head was causing a distortion in my energy and for the briefest moment, I lost all sensation. "Ignis?!" she asked with a hint of fear in her voice. I opened my eyes to see our joined hands. I could see them, and they were solid enough for her to still grasp my fingers, but I could no longer feel her skin. I pulled my hands from her grip and squeezed them into fists. "Your thoughts… get them out. Get them out!" I grasped the sides of my head and bent forward, the pain now to the point that I had difficulty standing. I felt a pair of small hands on both of my own, stroking the back of my hands in a soothing motion. Very slowly, I felt her mind drift farther from mine till the only influence over my thoughts was a vague sense of her emotional state. I could still feel her mind, but it no longer caused me pain. I hadn't realized that my breathing had increased as well as my heart rate, my body reacting to the unbalanced state of my mind. Taking in a deep breath, I focused inward and eased my racing pulse; the blood pounding in my temples did nothing to help the confusion I now had from my experience. I stood and lowered my hands; Hikari shifted hers to rest on my shoulders. "Will you be alright?" she asked quietly. I shook my head and tried to smile in reassurance but the crease in her brow told me she wasn't convinced. "I have to go." I told her, frowning when her eyes became darker with disappointment. "I will be back soon. But for now I need to be alone. I need to find out exactly what is going on." I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before glancing over my shoulder. Garrett had fallen asleep of his own accord, no longer interested in anything but dreams. I indulged in the sight for a few more moments before dispersing my energy, my physical form quickly fading as my energy traveled and reassembled atop my mountain throne. After I was sure Hikari was still keeping her distance from my thoughts, I closed my eyes and once more and looked inward. I gazed at the manifestation of my power on the energy plane and sought out the pale blue energy of the Harvest Goddess. Her mind greeted me with a slight surprise, but the gentle warmth that she always radiated remained. I have something to ask you. I said. Her energy flickered out if rhythm for a moment. Yes brother? She asked, sounding slightly troubled. I fixed what you might call a mental gaze on her energy, pressing into her thoughts with the same intensity of my gaze when I was arguing with my mortal wife. Where are the others?

I silently cursed Ignis on my silent side of the mental connection, the only thing keeping my festering pride from getting worse were the promises that I made to myself. For each hour he remained away I would make him one less Apple Cocktail. I had returned to my chores outside after making sure Garrett would stay asleep for quite some time. I absently checked the volume button on the baby monitor, making sure it was on high. Shifting my hand back the stalk of one of my buckwheat, I used the other to brace myself as I leaned down on the ground. The stalks of my buckwheat crops shone like polished brass around me, strong and healthy as they thrived in their winter environment. What I was inspecting were the roots of one particular stalk of mine, the only one to show signs of ill-health. The soil had been dug away and part of the roots torn out, as well as a few buckwheat taken from it before they were ready to harvest. I debated on if I should cut the stalk away, wondering if Ignis might help it later. As I mused for a moment over this topic I heard Lemon bellow from the pasture just beyond my crops. I stood quickly and strained to see her over the tall stalks. When she didn't repeat the sound I shrugged and lowered back to the ground to decide the plants fate. Then I heard it, not Lemon's bellow, but a soft shifting through my crops. The unmistakable sound of a solid mass moving through the otherwise still crop. I cocked my head to the side, listening for the direction it came in. No doubt it was that sneaky bastard Sloan, probably poking his nose in my ranch work again. The shifting of the stalks came closer and I rose up to rest on the balls of my feet, my fingers flexing. After a few more moments I pounced through the buckwheat stalks and out onto the pasture, we rolled like we were practicing some weird acrobat routine before I landed on the trespassers back. I pinned my knees into their lower back and pushed my hands down on their shoulders to keep them pinned. "What have I told you Sloan? I'll gut you for sure this time you miserable…" I muttered off a few more insults while I reached in my rucksack for my ax, pressing my weight on my knees when my captive began to struggle. I noticed a few bulbs of discarded buckwheat a few feet from where we laid and growled to myself. Bastard and a thief. "Now where were we…?" When I took the time to look down at who I'd pinned, it was most definitely not Sloan. Not even a man for that matter. I was sitting atop a short woman with a mass of curly, copper penny brown hair. The mass moved like a living creature as she turned her head this way and that and grunted. I didn't know who this woman was, but that didn't mean I was no longer pissed. "Who are you?" I asked while letting the gleaming blade of my ax reflect onto the ground. "Hikari it's me, it's me! Just let me up!" she pleaded in a voice that had a distinctive husky quality. "Why would I…?" suddenly that copper hair and the husky voice made to much sense, it was all too familiar. Jumping up from my captive like she was a venomous snake I grabbed for my ax and held it in front of me. The woman slowly stood, stretching and grimacing as she rubbed the back of her neck. "What are you doing here… how are you here?!" I asked in disbelief. "You know sometimes I can't believe I gave birth to a girl and not a boy." She huffed before turning green eyes on me. "What's that look for? It's been almost five years hasn't it? I came all this way to see you to. And believe me it wasn't easy finding it either." I swallowed my heart after it had jumped into my throat. "Aren't you going to say hi to your Mother?" she asked while raising one delicately arched eyebrow.

A/N:

That is the longest chapter I have ever and will ever type. You all probably want to roast me on a spit and splash some spices on me. Something along the lines of "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" and such, ha... Yeah. But I'm back! And I hope this SUPER long chapter made up for it. I tried editing it for typos with spell check and myself on Word, then with Fanfiction editing and it seemed to mess up my spacing a bit. So sorry for that :P Please oh please oh PLEASE Review! Nothing makes me happier than feed back! And don't forget to check out my Poll on my main page!

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