Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Canon Ones
Warnings: AU
Chapter: 3
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate, Plot & OC´s © by me
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It was an ordeal. Not strictly in the way of the Children, with pain and blood and screams, but rather in a new way clearly of the Ainur.
For the last month, his wife had been completely unable to change shape, save minor cosmetics such a color, but now she struggled to stay in one.
"You think this is better or worse than their way?" Aulë was cradling her in his arms, reaching across their marriage-bond to help her contain herself.
"Depends on how much longer this is going to take." Where her hands, or claws - and briefly branches - were clinging to him, crystals sprouted from their connection. "First it's not letting me change, now it won't let me stay still!" Still, she was one of the Aratar, and their child clearly not, because she was managing to contain it quite well. It'd had mostly come this far because she had been surprised by the onset.
"One of your Maiar then. I am pretty steady." He grinned faintly at her look, which promised vines in his nearby future.
"You. do not. want me to answer that." She settled in a form much like the one she had worn when they had started the pregnancy, unnecessary breaths coming sharp.
"No, fair." He conceded, shifting his arm some when she pushed at it. The rest of the Valar - as far as he knew - were waiting outside, nearer the exit of the Halls of Mandos. He wondered if Vairë was weaving this. It'd certainly be important enough, this first full-blooded child of Ainur. They had all seen Luthien's birth, though it was hidden away in the private wing of the Halls. Perhaps something to show their little cousin, now that she was back.
He wasn't quite certain when it changed, but he was suddenly aware that where there had been only one Song, there were now two. Much like the seamless change whenever they switched forms of their fana, there were now also two.
"Oh..." The new form was tucked into a blanket and part of him wondered if that was a creation of Yavanna, or the child. He could only just see two eyes in between the folds of the fabric, little gems sparkling in the directionless light of the Halls.
'Hi!' A small voice nearly blasted into their mental ears, before it dampened itself. 'Oh my gosh, I am so small compared to you! Am I cute!?'
"Well..." Yavanna chuckled, reaching up to open the bundle enough that they could see what they were very sure was one of their Maia, though they were not yet quite certain who exactly.
"Yes." He informed the new arrival, hovering his hand over them briefly, before brushing the gentle dusting of hair. "Quite so, I daresay."
'Yes!' The little face scrunched in joy. 'Hah, I told them I'd be! Take that!'
"Pretty sure they can't hear you." The Valie of Life pointed out, resting in a bed of flowers and the arms of her husband.
'Oh... right.' The androgynous vaguely hobbit-dwarf baby-shape pouted; it did quite look like Yavanna's current form, but even by baby-standards they were having trouble figuring out which gender it was trying to present. Something that would follow later perhaps. 'Eh, when they follow then. Remind me to tell them when they follow?'
"Of course." The Smith's large shape cradled them both.
'Yay!' It wiggled happily, little hands grasping at air. 'This is going to be fun!'
"Oh, certainly." He chuckled. "Oh, and you already have a gift waiting for you."
'Oh?' Tiny grabby hands - he supposed - reached towards him. The eyes started sparkling even more when he pulled out the teething-ring-slash-toy Mairon had made while he'd been in Ercassëyondë. 'Pretty!'
"Indeed." He offered it, finding that the grip was firm, though perhaps a bit uncoordinated. "One of my Maiar made it when he heard about your coming."
'Remind me to say thank you.' In a firmly established baby-move, they shoved it into their grinning mouth.
Yavanna laughed softly. "Of course." She echoed her husband. "Give me half an hour, and we can introduce you to the rest."
