Gacha Story (Mature Readers Only)

Babies

"How about the name Terra?" Arya suggested, lying sprawled across the bed, Shadow standing at the end of it, their newborn baby lying in between them. The baby was dressed in white, green eyes blinking innocently, a dark hair curl on the top of her head.

Shadow considered her suggestion. "I love the name," he told her. "Ah... I wonder how the others are going to react when they see her!"

Arya gave a small smile. "I hope they like her..." After all, she knew all about being rejected. But she would fight through everyone to raise her daughter to have a childhood better than hers.

"Of course they'll love her!" Shadow replied, enthusiastically.

"I don't know..." she admitted, shaking her head now, not wanting to admit how much her childhood still affected her. But he could tell that was exactly what she was thinking, and voiced her thoughts.

"Look, Terra will be safe," Shadow reassured her, shuffling closer, sitting on the side of the bed as he held Terra in his arms, staring down into her green eyes - the same shade as Arya's and... Vann Melon's. "She's so cute! It's impossible not to love her!"

"Haha," she laughed dryly. "Apparently not all babies are cute. Unless... I was never a baby before?"

"Your parents weren't able to see it," Shadow explained warmly, "it doesn't mean you weren't cute at all. It's all about perception. In fact, you've grown to be the cutest girl I've ever met."

She felt her heart flutter. "You're just saying that..." she blushed.

"I am, but it's also the truth."

Arya felt herself relax - it was almost impossible for her not to, when Shadow was always doing his best to comfort her.

She stared down at Terra in Shadow's arms and Shadow offered Arya a chance to hold their baby too, which she took with care.

"Can we go check on Lily and Colt's babies?" Arya asked.

Shadow looked mournful. "Of course. But you should get some rest."

"Nope," Arya disagreed, standing up from the bed with Terra in her arms, seeming to have double the energy Shadow had. "I've never needed to rest in my life."

Shadow smiled. "I know, you're so strong." As they left the room, they bumped into a worker who directed them to the ward, where they could see two small babies sleeping, through the window.

"The girl is called Rhona and the boy is called Romano," Shadow said.

"Ah yes," said Arya. "I remember Lily saying something about wanting a daughter called Rhona."

"It's a shame they..." Shadow shook his head dismally and Arya looked away from the window and away from Shadow too. "They could've had such a beautiful family. And with ours... it would've been cool. We've all known each other for so long..."

Arya's voice sounded bitter. "And it was someone that we knew for so long that turned against us, put them in their graves."

Shadow noticed Arya unable to look at him and he felt a little bad for mentioning them. Lexi had been their best friend from the start. In fact, even before they met Colt.

"But I heard that they're both up for adoption."

Arya froze. "No." She shuddered, cruel memories flooding her mind again. The forest surrounded her again, and she was falling... falling into blood. And there was a dead body. Another dead body. Another -

"They need parents, Arya," Shadow said.

"No, it's not like what happened to me. Colt and Lily loves them - I know they do. It isn't fair for them... it isn't fair if someone else takes their children..."