Overcast Birth
Finally. . . Empire
unofficial fan fiction based on Mistborn written by Brandon Sanderson.
He stopped the coach, stepped down from his seat and opened the door for his wife. Vin took his hand and shifted down the steps, flatulence and incontinence manifesting between each one. She glared at him as she reached the ground. For the sake of his manhood and marriage, he just barely contained a smirk. By now he knew to walk thirty paces away while she relieved herself behind the coach. Out of sight and hearing range, but still close enough to protect her. He stood ruffling through his pockets as he waited. His hand brushed a hard cylinder. It was a vial of metals. I thought we used all our metal reserves! Mists am I glad to have found this. The label is missing, I wonder what --
"Done!" Vin shouted. Elend slipped the vial back into his pocket and walked back to the coach. He held the door open as Vin waddled back up to it. "Thank you" she said appreciatively. She took his hand as he helped her back up the steps, again farting a little with each one. He bit his cheeks so hard that they bled, but he dared not laugh. She turned back to glare at him again, and when she saw his wide eyes and dimpled cheeks from biting, she turned back around and defeatedly entered the cabin. She eased herself back down into her cushions and tried to force her mind to wander off. Anything to distract her from the immense pressure around her abdomen.
As they proceeded along their way the ash began falling. Normally a dismal sign, but for Vin it was welcome. They'd been travelling under the heat of the sun for days, and the slightest added discomfort was magnified to her. Luthadel had appeared in the distance by now, but it was still at least two days away. She'd started to have small contractions now and then, signs that the time to birth their children was nearing, though true early labor was still likewise a couple days away. It seemed they'd left their retreat just in time.
Daylight was waning and Elend decided to stop to make camp before it grew too dark. Camp wasn't much, just a simple tent staked out beside the coach. As uncomfortable as it was for Vin, she didn't get much sleep this far along in her pregnancy anyway, and they needed to travel light. Elend fed and watered the two horses, and built a fire while Vin took a stroll to stretch her legs. He reflected on the irony at seeing her so vulnerable. Here was probably the most powerful warrior on the planet, and she could barely walk for any extended period of time. Strangely, even fighting dozens of allomancers at once didn't seem as strenuous for her as this. They'd asked if she could burn pewter to help the pain, or even travel by Steel Push, but unfortunately burning metals while pregnant wasn't good for the fetus, or in this case fetuses. She would be able to burn metals when she was in full-on labor, though. Thankfully.
Then he thought of the babies. I'm going to be a father he thought. The responsibility started to weigh more on him as they neared their home city, and the due date. Remember, you aren't alone. You have Vin, and all of your friends. Right now, just focus on getting her home. He was eager to see the crew again. To have some time to prepare while Vin had proper care and amenities. A good book and some levity from Breeze would be welcome. He looked over and saw Vin waddling back to the fire. He got up to help her, but she waved him away and managed to sit by herself. He sat back down next to her with is arm over her shoulder and hugged her close. Teary eyed she said "I'm so done with this. I'm so tired. I just want to be home."
She turned her head and stared at him in the eyes, tears now streaming down her cheeks. "I don't think I can make it two more days, Elend. I think these babies are coming sooner" she said.
"Ok, well, we've been travelling all day, we just made camp and the horses, and I, need rest. How much time do you think we have?"
"We need to be back in Luthadel by tomorrow. Unless you want to deliver these babies?"
"Right. . . We'll get you back" he said, sighing as he stood up to strike camp. As he did, Vin grabbed his wrist. He looked back down at her and said, "I need to pack everything up, we need to start moving again."
"We can rest a little longer, I'll need you to be able to function when we arrive" she said. "The tent is pitched, get some rest now, at least a few hours."
He paused to consider and nodded. "You're right. Ok, let's go rest for as long as we can."
Elend nodded again and retreated to the tent.
The camp was unimportant, a splash of water on the embers was enough. Elend hurried to the horses and gave them a pat as he walked them to the carriage and hooked them up. Vin had made her way over and up the steps on her own; that was prudent of her. I will seriously regret not going to the bathroom first though Elend thought as he finished strapping in the second horse. He stood to the side of the cart to relieve himself, pushing with all his might trying to empty his bladder as fast as he could. In the process he let out a much larger fart than his wife had the day before, to his own humility. "ELEND! LEAVE! NOW!" she screamed from inside the carriage.
"Leaving!" He cried as he climbed into the driver's seat and snapped the reins. The horses towed the carriage off swiftly in the twilight, and Elend quickly realized something: he could barely see where he was going. He knew he was traveling in the general direction of Luthadel, but if he was angled too far from the city, by the time it was light enough to gauge to correct direction he might be too far off course. He couldn't discern the landscape well enough to react to obstacles quickly enough either, and if he did hit something, there was little chance he'd be able to recover in time for his wife to deliver their babies in the city. Vin would also be very, very mad, and he did not want Vin to be very, very mad...
I need light, but we left nearly all of our supplies at the camp he thought. TIN! He remembered the vial in his pocket. Oh please have tin in here he thought. He slowed the carriage as he grabbed the vial from his pocket, uncorked it and drank the contents. He took hold of the reins and snapped them, ending the horses' brief recovery, and there! He could sense metals. Steel ok, that's good but I have nothing to push against right now. . . and yes! Tin! He immediately began burning tin and the view ahead of him became like morning though twilight would still last for some time. Okay Vin, let's get you home.
***
Spook noticed a rapidly approaching figure in the distance. No, a carriage. He grabbed a spyglass an focused on it. Elend and Vin! he thought. They weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow. He ran to notify Ham that the royal couple were returning early, and in haste. Ham perked up at this news. "Thanks, Spook" he said. "Notify the guards and tell them to open the gate" he continued as he ran down the hallway. Spook followed Ham's orders and went to tell the guard to prepare for the early arrival of the Emperor and Empress.
***
Around midday Elend arrived at the gates of Luthadel. Spook stood with the guards at the gates and welcomed the emperor accompanied with a wailing from the inside of the carriage. Elend smiled and nodded, but kept the carriage moving until a stable hand could take the horses. "Extra feed, water and treats for these two" he said. "They've been pushed far harder than they were prepared for" he added. Spook walked up to Elend as the stable hand eagerly took the horses away. "Wasing of the thinking tomorrow was the day of coming for you?" Spook asked in high imperial.
"Tin let you see?" Spook asked
Elend nodded, then asked "Know where Ham is? We need to get Vin situated quickly"
"He went that way after I told him you were coming back early, I'll go get him" he replied.
"Thanks" Elend said as Spook ran off the get Ham. Elend walked back to the carriage, opened the door and helped Vin down the steps.
"Finally," she breathed. "Empire. . ." She stopped to regain her composure. "That last one was hard" she said, resting her head against Elend's chest, arms clinging to his shoulders.
"Sounded like it. . . Spook just went to get Ham. Once he's here we'll get you to the room" he said.
***
Ham came running down the hallway dressed in an apron, followed by Spook and Breeze. They arrived at the courtyard to a guttural roaring. Vin's hands were digging into Elend's shoulders, and he did his best to simply support her. What else could he do?
"Hi Ham" Vin said exasperated, trying to maintain social propriety.
Ham chuckled and said "Let's get you to the room, I have it all set up. There's pewter in there to help with the birth."
"Pewter?" the royal couple said in unison.
"I thought she couldn't burn metals while pregnant?" Elend asked
"Well, she shouldn't throughout the pregnancy, but using some this close to the birth won't hurt"
Vin looked noticeably relieved, or as much as she could knowing she still had to birth twins soon. . .
"I don't want to impose on these matters; I'd better wait this out inspecting the wine reserves" Breeze commented.
"I don't think so, Breeze. Vin will need your Soothing, and I'll need your assistance in the birth room" Ham replied. Breeze sighed but followed along as the crew helped Vin on her way.
Vin had two contractions on their way to the room, but they made it with some time to spare. By now the contractions were about three minutes apart and Vin was having trouble breathing between them. Spook stood outside to guard the door, while the other four went in to help Vin birth their twins. Ham was prudent in setting up the room beforehand. He knew if they were returning early and in haste, that Vin was probably in labor.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Breeze complained
"Shut it and get to work, Breeze!" Ham snapped. He was focused on the mission at hand. He gave Vin a pewter vial to drink, and then gave one to Elend after some consideration.
Over the course of the next two hours, Vin's contractions came closer together and were much more intense. Elend was superb at holding her hand through them all, even when she squeezed them really hard. Ham was wise to give Elend some pewter too, otherwise Vin could have crushed his hands squeezing them through the contractions. It helped with the pain of labor, but she let her uterus contract with normal strength; pewter-enhanced contractions would crush the child, or in this case children inside. Breeze thankfully continued his Soothing, despite his distaste for the situation he found himself in. Vin's anxiety about becoming a mother, and whether these babies would ever finally come out of her was dampened, and she held on to Elend for strength.
Eventually Vin knew it was time. Her body told her the time to actually deliver the twins she'd been growing over the past nine months was here. Ham was nearby encouraging her "Come on girl, you can do this! You're almost there! Steel push! STEEL PUSH!" Gritting her teeth, bracing against Elend, and with the encouragement from Ham, she pushed, and could feel the head of the first baby. The fixtures in the room began to shake violently; evidently, she took Ham's direction literally and was flaring steel. A moment later she was cradling a baby boy, but before long another contraction came. Ham cut the umbilical cord, took the child and handed him to Breeze who gagged at the instruction to clamp the cord stub, but held him otherwise safely.
Vin had only a little time between the next contractions, and she let her uterus continue to work. Soon the time the deliver the second baby came, and she braced again. Elend held her tightly, and Ham observed carefully. With a primal, guttural roar she pushed the second baby out of her womb, cradling it in her arms, and collapsed against the bed. "What is this one?" she asked facing up toward the ceiling eyes closed.
Vin smiled but remained leaning against the bed.
"Let's get you in the bed so you can rest, Vin." Ham said. She complied without argument, and after going to the bathroom, she was in bed with her husband, nursing two babies, and resting in the post-birth euphoria. She didn't know what felt better, not having to pee, or not carrying two babies inside of her. It all felt amazing. "You did great" she said to Elend.
"Me too" she replied and then fell asleep.
***
Ham waited with Spook outside while Breeze went to clean himself off and change. They gave the couple a few hours together to enjoy time alone as a family. When Breeze returned, they knocked and entered their room to check on them. When they entered, they saw Elend and Vin smiling huge smiles and adoring their babies. The looked over and welcomed the trio to come see them. Ham and Spook gave likewise giant grins, and Breeze managed to let his own smile through at the sight.
"Not yet" Vin replied. "We're still thinking."
Ham nodded, then Breeze asked "So, how do genetics work for the children of two fully Mistborn parents?"
Everyone in the room looked at Breeze, shocked to have not thought of that question. Would these children be Mistborn too? Well, they wouldn't know for some time, and right now, they didn't need to know. Right now, they just needed to be a family. Their own crew.
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