Daniel just stared at her with a calm expression while standing near him Specca was slowly shaking her head at the laughing girl who shook about in her hysteria. The others glanced to each other and just shrugged, since seeing this wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for them at this point, then watched Daniel sitting up and gently taking hold of Luna’s cheeks. The girl giggled wildly through her teeth before he pulled her into a kiss, her wings fluttering like crazy behind her for a moment then slowly calming down as she did. After the kiss ended Daniel lightly caressed the girl’s cheeks as she had a timid smile on her face now.
“I told you. Your smile lights me up inside every time I see it. I’d do anything to keep you happy in life, Luna.”
Luna quickly hugged him with a flutter of her wings, with him holding her close and feeling her aura brightening as well in his mind.
“Thank you, Daniel,” she said before giving him another kiss.
“So is Kroanette going to be okay?” Pip asked the others.
“She’ll be fine,” Clover assured her. “You heard Dan. We’ll see her again soon. This is where she belongs after all.”
“Yes,” Specca agreed. “And nothing will keep her from running at full speed towards her home here.”
“Except of course her horrible navigation skills,” Alyssa commented. She was immediately whacked in the back of the head by Star, the witch dropping forward with a thump while the other girls sighed and shook their heads at her. Star meowed down at the witch with annoyance as Alyssa climbed back onto her feet with a low growl at the jinx.
“Hey,” Daniel spoke up, with the girls turning to see him watching them with a raised eyebrow while Luna was nuzzling against his shoulder. “Let’s keep the fighting to zero tonight, okay? We need each other right now, so don’t push anyone away in the least.”
Star and Alyssa nodded before glancing to each other with very quiet scoffs. Daniel and Luna got back onto their feet, with Pip zipping around them and landing down in the butterfly’s bosom, before Specca quickly ran over and held onto his arm again.
“Now then,” he said while offering his other arm to Luna. The girl giggled as she took hold of it before he winked at the other girls near them. “Let’s go see how the rest of our family is doing tonight. There’s a bit of gloom in the air still, we should try to clear it before Kroanette arrives.”
“Sounds good to me,” Alyssa agreed.
“Whatever you say, Dan,” Clover said with a caring smile.
Star nodded and meowed to that as well before Daniel led the girls out of the library. Stepping into the main court he glanced around at the other three chambers, hearing silence coming from the bedroom, laughter and screeching coming from the dining room, and soft voices along with splashing coming from the bathing room. Daniel then chose to enter the bathing room next with his girls following along as they felt their spirits lifting in his company.
Sitting on the edge of their bath with her feet kicking every now and again Falla’s unfocused gaze remained on the rippling water, her wings drooping low behind while her expression was downtrodden just as it had been since she came into the room earlier. Standing in the water nearby Squeak was slowly washing her abdomen while having only a few suds covering her body in some places, the ant girl also having a distant look in her eye as she wasn’t so much cleaning herself but rather seemed lost in thought just as her co-mate was.
“I remember when I only used to think about getting a man to get pregnant with,” Falla said, with Squeak glancing to her curiously. “Never thought about having him love me in the slightest, or even have someone to love at all other than my own child. Now I have a man who means the world to me, and co-mates who make me so happy to have with us.”
She took a shaky breath then covered her eyes as Squeak started walking closer.
“Now I have Daniel, a man who loves and cares for me like I’m a normal girl in this world. I have you, someone who makes me feel safe and cherished when you hold me. I have my sister, the only family I had before meeting any of you. And… I have Kroanette, a centaur who being lost out there is making my heart ache so badly.”
Squeak came closer in front of the butterfly and gently lowered her hands, seeing the teary eyes of Falla staring back at her as she tried to keep her voice steady.
“I never would have been this scared or worried about a centaur before or anyone else besides my sister. I suppose I should be glad I can feel this way; it shows just how much you girls mean to me. And at the same time… it’s killing me inside not knowing if Kroanette is safe or in trouble or… worse. This pain… it hurts so bad. Losing her like this is tearing into me, so much worse than I thought it could. Is this what Clover went through with losing Zoey? Is this how she felt losing her?”
“No,” Clover said, with Falla and Squeak turning to see Daniel and the girls standing nearby with empathetic looks towards them. “Zoey died. I lost her forever. That pain was way worse than this. Kroanette’s just lost again. She’s going to come back. This is only us worrying ourselves sick over her, which isn’t so bad in comparison to what I went through with losing Zoey.”
“She’s going to be okay, sister,” Luna reassured. “You’ll see. She’ll be back before you know it.”
“I wish I could share your optimism, Luna,” Falla sighed. “I really do. I’ve been telling myself over and over again that she’s going to be fine, that she’s just lost and is late getting here. But still… this is different from all the other times she got turned around out there. There’s really bad monsters out there now, ones that killed her family and could do the same to her next if they find her. I can’t stop worrying about her or fearing that she’s… she’s…”
Squeak held Falla’s cheek with a remorseful frown then squeaked at the others a few times. Daniel let go of Luna and Specca and walked over behind Falla, watching as the girl quietly whimpered with dwindling hope for their missing centaur. Kneeling down he then held the butterfly close with his arms around her, her hand slowly rising up to hold onto his as she leaned back and sighed softly.
“I heard you sang Snapper a lullaby,” Daniel said. Falla glanced to him as he had his eyes closed and head resting next to hers. “Earlier today, you sang one for her and helped calm her down when she was riled up.”
“Yeah, I did,” Falla admitted.
“Can you sing it again? I want to hear it.”
“Now?”
“Please? For me?”
Falla closed her eyes as the girls behind them stepped closer, everyone watching as the butterfly remained silent for a while before she started singing her lullaby in a soft and gentle tune.
“La la laa, la la la, la lah la laaa. La la la, lah lah, lah la la laa, la la laa.”
Falla repeated the song a few times with everyone listening closely, her words sounding kind even though her voice betrayed how she really felt inside which was depressed and afraid. When she finished and fell quiet Daniel hugged Falla close and kissed her cheek, the girl only showing a faint smile from the gesture as she opened her eyes slightly.
“Thank you, Falla. That was wonderful. It’s such a soothing song.”
“I don’t remember the words for it,” Falla explained. “My mother used to sing it to Luna and I when we were little, it always made us smile and forget our troubles when she did. I have the melody stuck in my head still, but the words… I can’t remember what they were.”
“It’s still beautiful coming from your voice,” Daniel praised.
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“You’re going to sing it for our daughter, aren’t you?”
“Of course I will,” Falla promised as she snuggled back against him.
“And for Luna’s.”
“Of course,” Falla agreed with a smirk.
“And Kroanette’s,” Daniel continued. Falla looked back to him curiously as he held her chin and smiled at his butterfly. “That song is beautiful because it’s coming from you, Falla. From your heart. It doesn’t ne
ed words, it makes those that hear it feel happy and safe just as it is. I need you to sing that for our children, all our children in our family, and that includes Kroanette’s daughter. She needs to hear your lullaby, it would be a crime if she couldn’t experience it at least once.”
“Daniel…”
“I don’t ask much of you, Falla. But this is one thing I must insist upon. You must share your lullaby with our children, it’s a wonderful gift only you can give them. Kroanette’s daughter will love it, I know she will.”
“I… I would… but…”
“No buts,” Daniel corrected shaking his head. “Promise me, Falla. Promise me you’ll sing your lullaby for her. And in return I’ll promise that she will be born to hear it. I’ll go out there myself tomorrow at first light and find Kroanette if I must, drag her back here by her hooves, and make sure she becomes the mother to a lovely daughter that you’ll bless with your song. I’ll do whatever it takes for her child to be allowed to hear your beautiful voice.”
Falla eyed Daniel with stunned silence as he awaited her reply, the girl then slowly smiling a little and taking hold of his hand.
“Even though I doubt you could drag her here yourself, your voice and eyes say you’re not lying. You really mean it, don’t you?”
“I do. Kroanette will return to her family, either on her own accord or if her mate has to go out there and bring her back home. You will see her again, Falla. We’ll all have our centaur back soon. I’ll do whatever it takes to make that a reality, so please promise me that you’ll sing your lullaby for her daughter as well as ours when they’re brought into this world. That alone is a guarantee that Kroanette will have to come back.”
“I promise,” Falla agreed nodding with a few tears forming. “I promise I will.”
“That’s my butterfly,” Daniel said before kissing her. Falla turned and held onto him as the girls smiled at their co-mate, her heart fluttering along with her wings as she felt her spirit lifting from his words towards her.
“That’s so beautiful!” Luna sobbed as she tore a few leaves off her skirt to blow her nose in them.
“Okay, seriously,” Clover mentioned while eyeing the girl’s floral skirt. “Where are you getting all those leaves from?”
Daniel helped Falla up onto her feet and held the girl close, her wings fluttering behind as she kept her arms tightly around him. When their kiss broke Daniel lightly tapped one of her antennae, causing her to giggle a bit as he smiled calmly at her.
“Leave worrying about Kroanette to me. All you need to concern yourself with is remembering to sing that beautiful song to our children. That’s a big responsibility that I’m going to trust you with.”
“I’ll sing to them every night,” Falla promised. “To all of our little girls.”
She blinked then glanced to Squeak in the bath before smiling weakly at Daniel.
“Although, if Squeak becomes a queen and has an entire nest of children, I’m not sure if-”
“Too late,” Daniel jested shaking his head. “You promised. You have to sing to each and every daughter Squeak has. I’m holding you to that just as you all hold me to my promise of taking care of you girls forever.”
“But, Daniel,” Falla whined hopping up and down.
“No buts,” Daniel said glancing to Squeak. The ant girl slowly climbed out of the bath and watched him curiously with a faint squeak. Daniel reached over and brought her closer by the waist, holding both girls near him as he lightly chuckled and winked at the ant girl.
“No matter how large our side of the family grows, I will always protect and cherish our daughters just as much as my other little girls.” Squeak blushed and slowly smiled as Daniel moved his hand down to her hip. “I know ant girl queens have lots of children in their time. I promise not to slack off with helping your nest grow as large as it can. All I ask is that the queen would be content with just one king giving her those children.”
Squeak nodded with a few tears forming in her eyes, her hands holding onto his arm and chest as she pressed herself closer to him.
“Daniel,” Specca spoke up. “Ant girl queens have a lot of daughters during their time. Squeak would be capable of having dozens… no, hundreds of daughters for her new nest.”
“The most difficult part of that isn’t going to be making them,” Daniel said, giving Squeak’s rear a light squeeze that she hopped with a squeak to. “And although it will be a challenge to love and hold each of them when they’re young I’m more than up for meeting that expectation. No, the most difficult part of having a large, flourishing nest of ant girls from my love of Squeak is going to be something that I may have to ask all of you to help with.”
“What’s that?” Luna wondered.
“Naming all our children,” Daniel answered with a shrug. The girls all giggled as Squeak lowered her head slightly with a bashful smile at him. “It’s going to be a large undertaking naming each and every one of our beautiful daughters since there’s going to be so many, but I think we’ll manage it together.”
“You’re serious,” Clover said in awe. “You’re going to populate her nest all on your own? Dan, how are you going to do that? You’d have to be fucking her every day to make sure she’s always pregnant.”
“Well while I don’t think of that sort of responsibility as a bad thing,” Daniel mentioned with a twitch of his eyebrow at Squeak, the ant girl blushing brightly from hearing him say that. “It wouldn’t be required to keep mating with her continuously for her nest to grow.”
“It wouldn’t?” Clover wondered.
“Ant girl queens are extremely fertile,” Specca explained as she saw Squeak nuzzling her head on Daniel’s shoulder. “They give birth to children very easily, and in large numbers. Once Squeak turns into a queen ant girl she’ll be able to have multiple daughters from a single offering of Daniel’s seed.”
“She’ll have children much faster than all of us ever could,” Alyssa said. “And from the same amount of effort Daniel would give to all of us.”
Daniel lightly tapped Squeak’s rear, the ant girl smiling anxiously at him now as he nodded in approval.
“I’m still going to put in all the effort I can to take care of my queen,” he proposed. “Not just to have a thriving nest of beautiful daughters, but also to make sure my mate knows how much I love her and to make her always happy.”
“And you’re going to take care of all her children?” Pip asked. “Every single one?”
“I’m going to take care of all my children, from all my mates, with everything I can. Most monsters don’t get to grow up with a father in their lives to watch over them. I intend to be there for my little girls. Every single one of them,” Daniel vowed. He looked up thoughtfully for a moment then smiled weakly at Squeak and shrugged. “Although a small break now and again to catch my breath may be needed. Hope that’s okay with you.”
Squeak and the girls laughed and nodded as Daniel held her and Falla close, his eyes going around at each of his mates before stopping on the ant girl again.
“It doesn’t matter if the way you have children is different from your co-mates, all that matters is that we do have a family and remain together. You’ll have your own nest, a man who will always love and care for you, and you’ll have Falla to sing her lullaby to all your offspring.”
“Wait, wait a minute,” Falla nervously said. “Daniel, that’s… that’s too much. She could have hundreds of daughters, I can’t… I mean I just couldn’t…”
Daniel and the girls smiled amusedly at seeing her stuttering some form of protest while Squeak turned to her with pleading eyes and batting eyelashes.
“No, don’t do that,” Falla whined. “That’s not fair. Squeak, I can’t…”
Squeak moved closer and held Falla in her arms, squeaking softly while leaning in close to the butterfly’s face. Falla quietly uttered something as Squeak shook her head slowly and bumped their antennas, the ant girl gently wagging her chest and rubbing her breasts against
Falla’s chest.
“Squeak… no… I… but…” Falla breathed out. She whined with eyes shut tight then sighed in defeat. “Fine, I’ll sing to all your children too. Just… not every night, okay?”
Squeak giggled and hugged her while Daniel and the others laughed a bit. Falla held Squeak and shook her head before giving Daniel a stern smile over the ant girl’s shoulder.
“Thanks a lot, Daniel. My voice is going to be hoarse by the time all our babies are grown up.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” Daniel promised with a wink. “You help all our children sleep well at night, and I’ll do the same for you.”
“You’d better,” Falla purred. “I’m your responsibility too.”
Daniel nodded then looked around at seeing his girls smiling in awe at him, all their auras in his mind feeling brighter while their faces showed very clearly they were feeling more at ease and loved than they did earlier.
“Now then, it’s getting late and we could all use our rest. Before we turn in for the night though I think there are a few more members of our family that I need to tend to. Let’s go see how they’re doing and then we can all head to bed together.”
The girls nodded while Falla and Squeak quickly darted over and held onto his arms, with Daniel chuckling at seeing them taking their turns at holding onto him while the others gathered closer. He escorted the girls out of the bathing room and into the court, his eyes then going over to the dining hall while all the girls kept theirs locked solely onto him.
“What has gotten into him?” Specca whispered to Alyssa as Daniel led the girls into the dining hall. “He seems so… different than earlier.”
“I’m not sure,” Alyssa quietly replied. “He woke up from a nap and was suddenly so assertive and protective of us. He hasn’t shown this bolder side of him for a while.”
“That must have been some nap,” Luna mentioned.
“Whatever happened I’m liking this side of him a lot,” Clover softly praised. “If this is really who Dan is then we’re fucking lucky to be his.”
Chronicles of Eden - Act XI Page 18