Warning: Contains a somewhat graphic description of childbirth.

samaqi: This chapter is dedicated to my grandmother, who passed away after giving birth to my mom.

To my mom, who tried to raise me and my brother with love despite not knowing what motherhood was like.

To my beautiful, smart, and loving child, whom I love to the moon and back.

To my best friend/partner, who has always been supportive, full of humor, and politely laughed at my clumsy jokes.

To all the great mothers in the world!


"Push! Breathe in! Push! One more! Yes! That's right. Again…"

"I… can't..."

Quistis screamed in agony in response to the medical staff. Panting between hurried breaths, she recalled Seifer's broken promise to be by her side during childbirth.

Lies.

Here she was, lying bare exposed to a bunch of strangers, about to give birth to yet another shattered fatherless child.

Too much pain, inside and out. What if she just gave up? She wondered what Seifer would feel, if he would feel anything at all, if both she and their baby girl were to perish by dawn. To test that theory, all she had to do was lay still and let the pain consume her until nothing could be felt.

Hyne! What was she even considering?

Why would she contemplate sacrificing her precious child's life just to seek retribution against that chronic liar who should have won Balamb's Best Actor award?

Staying alive was not just a wish, but also a duty she had to fulfill for her baby.

With determination, she forced herself to take another deep, painful breath. She could do this. Like she had always succeeded at everything in life, she could...

"The fetal pulse is very weak..."

The nurse's whisper crushed her resolve.

No...

"Please pause for a moment and catch your breath. Do you hear me?" one of the three doctors in the room sat by her bed and spoke to her.

Unable to respond through the pain and a whirlwind of emotions, she tilted her head slightly to acknowledge him.

"I know you're in immense pain. But here's the situation: the baby is in a breech position—head inside you, legs out first," the doctor explained slowly, waving his arms to visualize his point. "Your baby is only seven months old but quite large. We must get her out soon, or she risks drowning inside you."

She nodded.

"Now, before we push again—and hopefully for the last time," the doctor said, signaling to a nurse who brought a mirror to show her what was between her legs. "Do you see her limbs? What a beautiful baby!"

Quistis paused, even skipping her breathing, as she tried to make out the tiny body parts.

"See? You can touch her, too," the doctor guided her hand down to feel the baby's flesh.

Quistis couldn't feel much from her numb fingers, but the baby was real. She was certain of it.

"On my count of three, push with all your might, and she's yours," the doctor instructed. "Can you do that for her?"

"Yes! Yes!" Quistis immediately replied, her voice full of determination.

"That's the spirit! That's our Legendary SeeD!" the doctor smiled happily at her momentum then shouted. "One! Two! Three!"

They applied pressure to Quistis's belly while pulling her child's legs from the other end.

"Now!"

"Arghhh..."

She summoned every ounce of strength to push. She had faced countless battles. Bloody wounds were as familiar as her best friends. Yet she had never experienced any pain like this—pain that felt endless, only intensifying. As a scientist, she knew the pain threshold could be reached, after which a person could feel no more. She was certain she was at that breaking point by that definition.

"It can't get worse than this. You must go on!" she told herself.

"She's out..."

The doctor announced, but his voice was tinged with a seriousness that Quistis couldn't comprehend.

The baby was out. The feat was complete, right?

Cheer me up! Say congratulations. Hey, where are you all going? Come back! Let me see the baby… Let me…

She had been told that the moment a baby cried for the first time would wash away all the pain for the new mother.

But it was the pain that washed away her consciousness.

And she heard no cry.


"Miss Trepe-Almasy! Are you awake?"

Quistis slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to the side to avoid the bright sunlight.

Another day has passed?

"Where's my baby? Arghh…" Quistis sat up but was immediately met with pain in her lower body.

"Take it easy..." the young nurse, who had been calling her name, gently pushed her back down.

Quistis quickly spotted a tiny baby in a mobile crib next to her bed. The baby's body was mostly covered in white bandages.

"Is that her?" Quistis trembled at the sight of the little body in shades of purple and red.

"I'm very sorry," the nurse murmured, nodding. "The force was too much for her to handle."

Her world shattered. Her vision became blurry within an instant. Tears rushed uncontrollably from her eyes.

She didn't regret all the effort; not at all. Her gaze fixed on the lying baby who looked as if she were just sleeping. The sad mother wondered when her blood and flesh had left the world and if she had even had the chance to see dawn at all.

Why hadn't the doctors just cut her open and saved the child? She had not lived a long life, but eventful enough to leave a legacy. She wanted her baby to survive, not just for the baby's sake but also because she was terrified of handling the pain of this loss.

She reached out toward the lifeless bundle, but the nurse stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that. She just slept ten minutes ago," the nurse said.

"What do you mean?"

Quistis trembled in confusion. It was then she noticed the nurse was only in her early twenties, likely a new apprentice.

The nurse grinned. "As my coworkers say, never wake a sleeping baby. You need to rest, and when she's awake, she'll be a handful. I have to say, I'm a big fan of yours! What an honor..."

"Is she alive?" Unable to control her emotions, Quistis shouted. "Tell me!"

"Yes..." The young nurse quickly realized the misunderstanding. "Oh, I'm very sorry. Yes, she's alive. She's a real fighter. When she came out, her shoulder got stuck like this..." She twirled her arms in demonstration. "Then Dr. Shelly used suction. A few bones are broken, but yes, the baby lived. It was quite a lot of action for my first delivery, though. Nothing like the practice..."

The nurse rambled on, but Quistis ignored her. The apprentice was lucky that Quistis was both tired and relieved; otherwise, she wouldn't mind gift her some swearing and physical attack.

Oh Hyne! What was she thinking? No, she wouldn't harm someone just because of a silly misunderstanding about her child's fate. After all, the most important thing was that the baby was alive.

Quistis followed the nurse's advice not to wake the child. She gently brushed her baby's hair as if it were delicate golden silk. Her cheeks were chubby. The nurse cheerfully recounted that the baby had gulped down dozen of ounces of special baby formula during the six hours Quistis had spent slumbering.

"You're lucky to have a good eater, Miss Trepe-Almasy," the nurse commented.

"It's Trepe," Quistis corrected her. Feeling awkward and not wanting the seemingly nosy nurse to ask any more questions, she quickly added, "I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat here?"

"Of course! I'm going to get you lunch. Any preferences?"

"Anything would do. Thank you."

"Oh, before I forget," the nurse turned back as she was about to leave the room. "Do you have a name for the baby yet?"

"Luluna," Quistis replied, her first smile in months breaking through. "Her name is Luluna Trepe."


The first month in Galbadia Hospital was a breeze. Friends came by to help and greet Quistis and Luluna. As the resting period was almost over, Edea and Trepie #23 offered to take Luluna back to Balamb Garden as planned, but Quistis refused. With Seifer no longer in Balamb, she didn't feel comfortable leaving Luluna to spend all her time in Edea's orphanage or Balamb's daycare. From a parent's perspective, those places suddenly seemed shady, especially with how early they introduced little children to magic and monsters.

"I know you're tough and capable, Quistis," Trepie #23 said. "But being a first-time mom is no joke..."

"You can take care of dozens of orphans at once. I want to try, too," Quistis replied.

"But, dear, you can't raise a child on your own while juggling work as well..." Edea tried to persuade her, but to no avail.

"I can do it. I just want to go home with her. We'll be fine..."

They weren't.

On the first day that Quistis brought Luluna home, she quickly realized that baby Luluna was no longer the sleeping angel. She woke up every hour and cried.

"What is she crying for?" Quistis was baffled. "I just fed her.."

Feed. Change diaper. Rock her back to sleep. The cycle went on and on. By the third day, Quistis realized it was past midnight and she hadn't taken a shower. Covered in pungent smell of old milk and baby waste, she was too tired that she decided to succumb to sleep immediately.

Forty-five minutes later, Luluna woke her up. Again.

Quistis wanted to wait a little longer to see if Luluna would forget her discomfort and go back to sleep.

What can she be uncomfortable about? She just drank a full bottle of breast milk and formula. Does the broken arm still bother her? Has she wet herself again? Does she simply need someone to hold her?

Someone.

Anger rose in Quistis. Now she had to be both the mom and the dad.

Fuck you, Seifer!

Or… not fuck you, ever again!

She waited some more. Luluna paused, but only for brief moments. Then the crying came back, even more intense. Stressed, Quistis dragged herself in to the pink nursery room and went through another round of feeding, diaper changing, and rocking Luluna back to sleep.

When Luluna finally closed her eyes, the forgotten kettle whistled, startling her.

Shit! Damn you, Seifer, for buying a screaming kettle!

Quistis cursed aloud. Who else would judge her?

Still holding her baby, Quistis ran toward the kettle and opened its lid to silence the shrieking sound. Now she had to rock Luluna back to sleep again, which usually took a grueling twenty minutes.

Except this time, Luluna suddenly wanted to play. Listening to the 'Fated Children' song sang by the siren doll seemed to be her favorite activity, followed by touching the Cactaur plushie. Though delighted by baby Lu's cuteness, Quistis' energy was completely drained an hour later. Exhausted, the new mom sat in the corner, holding her baby and crying.

"I'm tired. Please sleep! Please sleep! I beg you… Please sleep… Please… please…"


When Quistis woke up, she found herself neatly tucked into her bed. The comfort of the blanket wanted her to fall back asleep. But the sound of a baby cooing happily, accompanied by an adult voice, jolted her awake.

"Vice General Trepe!" Gavin greeted her while stirring something in the kitchen. Nearby stood a woman with brown hair holding Luluna. "This is my sister, Sheena," he said, pointing to the woman.

"I've heard a lot about you, Vice General Trepe." Sheena walked over and handed Quistis the peaceful baby. "She's an angel. You're a lucky mom. She looks just like you..."

Quistis was surprised by their presence in her home, but that was nothing compared to the sight of Luluna, who wasn't crying. The baby looked entirely comfortable. For the first time since leaving the hospital, Quistis truly rejoined her angel again.

"Thank you..." Quistis smiled awkwardly at the strange woman.

"Oh, please excuse our manners," Gavin said, noticing her surprise. He stopped cooking and walked over. "I intended to call you this morning, but no one picked up. We rushed here to check on you..."

"It was me who told Gavin we had to get here quickly!" Sheena smiled, pointing at him. "With three girls myself, I know that once your baby is out of the honeymoon phase, she'll be awake a lot."

"You didn't answer the door, and the baby cried," Gavin immediately added. "We informed security to let us in... Remember?"

Quistis suddenly recalled them arriving before she tumbled into sleep.

"Hyne! I'm so sorry," it was her turn to apologize. "That's right, you barged in. I was lying on the floor. Thank you both so much! I forgot—I thought I was dreaming..."

"It's alright. It's totally normal for a sleep-deprived mom to forget a lot of things," Sheena smiled with understanding. "Well, we've got everything under control here. If you want to take a shower, I can watch this little angel a bit longer."

A shower. That was exactly what Quistis had wanted for days. She handed Luluna over without a second thought. Before stepping into the bathroom, she turned back and took in the scene of a full family—one that Luluna unfortunately wouldn't have.


"So that's how you got adopted by Sebastsky?" Napen asked.

"Uh-huh," Luluna nodded as she worked on the last drops of the bottle. "I was born at the same time as Rosana and Ymir. We were inseparable. Hiding in the closet in Caraway's mansion while Mom and Dad discussed things with General Caraway was our favorite pastime."

"How did your dad propose to your mom?"

"Aw, Colonel Cohen," Luluna teased. "Always hungry for a romantic setup, aren't you?"

He laughed. "Sure, I'm a soft guy. But tell me, how did your dad snag the hottest mom of the era?"

"Not without my help."

Both sides were eager to support the couple. Gavin's affection for the single mom was clear, but he always kept things professional. Quistis never forgot about Seifer. Whether it was hatred or love, even Luluna found it hard to tell. She was determined to be a single mom, despite the constant manipulation from Luluna and her sister gang.

"I constantly told her I wanted a dad, just like Rosana and Ymir had—a full family with cousins and cool aunts and uncles to play with," Luluna recalled. "My last attempt was on my fifth birthday, Rosana's sister helped me write my wish: 'Dear Hyne, I want Uncle Gavin to be my real dad.' They got together within three months."

"Shit!" Napen exclaimed. "You were only five at the time? Nicely done, sis. No wonder you can handle so much politics in Time Corp..."

"I always get what I want," Luluna smirked confidently.

"Um... so..." Napen hesitated.

"Yeah?"

"When did that happen?"

"What is that?"

"The Sebastsky massacre."

Luluna's expression changed completely.

"When I was nine... only two years after he became a general," Luluna finally said in a somber voice. "But I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm very sorry for your loss..."

Sensing he had stepped too far, Napen redirected the conversation.

"What other possibilities are there for your deadbeat dad? Did it ever occur to you that he went missing because… you know?"

Luluna scoffed. "Oh, it's better if he's dead, but clearly, he didn't."

"How could you know?"

"Right. I told you I never met him once in my life. Well, I lied."

"Wait," Napen asked, surprised. "How did you find him?"

"I didn't. He came back one day, apologized to my mom, and all shit. Apparently, he wanted to see me. In his dream!" Luluna paused to pick up one of the food boxes and squeezed it until it distorted. "And you know what was satisfying? I ran and screamed at the asshole: 'I have only one dad, and my dad is General Gavin Sebastsky. My name is Luluna Trepe-Sebastsky.' I even told him I wished he'd burn in hell. I meant every single word. I would never ever forget the humiliation I had to face everyday, almost every kid in the neighborhood or at school would call me a lapdog's waste. After that, the douchebag seemed to get the message. He left and never came back."

"Interesting. I was hoping that dude left for a reason—like cancer or something."

"Tch… You need to stop binge-watching cheap Timber sitcoms, bro."

"I guess," Napen chuckled lightly at her mocking. "So, how did your mom react to all that?"

Luluna shrugged. "She buried herself in research and lobbied hard for the first prototype of our time travel machine. I can tell she somewhat forgave him. She tried to talk to me, but I told her to forget it. Once I hate someone, I can't change my mind. I left all the forgiving to my mom."

"That I can tell…" Napen said, then glancing at the clock. "Good talk, Lu... We should do this again."

"Next time, you're in the spotlight, brother."

"What to tell? All my life has been fighting day and night."

"You can tell me which cheesy movie you like best," she giggled. "Which actress, which tropes…"

"Wow, that would take ages, ya know," he played along. "I'll bring Galbadia tiramisu."

"What?" she stopped laughing.

"Coffee, right? Your favorite."

Luluna put on a confusing smile and blinked. "How do you know? I'm sure I never told anyone that."

"Oh..." Napen stuttered. "Well, sure you have. How the hell did I know about that 100-year-old dessert?"

"Right, how would you know?" Luluna murmured. "But I only had it…"

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The familiar yet alarming sound of Napen's pager interrupted her.

"What's that?" Luluna asked, moving closer to read his message.

"Testa's time portal is open again. Your mom and deadbeat dad will enter it soon," Napen said.

"Which means we have to leave now?"

"Yes."

"But it's too early," she said, confused. "Normally, it takes months..."

"If you don't feel ready, I can go with Kierhyn this time," he offered.

"No!" Luluna immediately disagreed. "I've started this time thread. I have to end it."

"We'll end this together. I never expect it to come this early, too, but on the bright side, it could be our last battle."

"Let's do this," Luluna nodded. "Let's kill the Hyne Messenger and her beast."