HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 8D

YAY, IT'S HERE! The series you all have been waiting for! The sweet, the funny, the absolutely heartwarming and amazing...ZARC AND RAY'S FAMILY SERIES! XD So...yeah, expect lots of cute and cuddly feels that will satisfy all of your Zarc x Ray needs!

So for this first one, you will meet a very special someone. I am not saying who, just as a surprise, but let's say that his appearance has been foreshadowed for quite a bit. Also, please thank Donjusticia and Sinking into Ruined Shadows for their help!

Warning: this series is heartwarming and fluffy, but because of this first chapter (and probably a couple others), we have used a few terms for medical reasons (NOT sexual), so just to warn you on that. This falls into the hard K+/soft T area, so yeah. :) Don't worry, there is a lot of happiness and cuteness in this (that is the original intent of this story), but the main topic in this story is also...well, it will make you smile wide like an idiot and feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside (it did for me, and I WROTE it).

As for any characters acting out of the ordinary, this takes place in the PARODY universe that Don-boy and I made up back on that date, so don't expect much. But we DO try to make this somewhat enjoyable in areas other than humor, just to flesh it out a bit more. :) So expect this series to be funny and serious (in a good way). :D

With that, ENJOY!

Enoch's Introduction

"Hey, Zarc...I got something to tell you!" Ray called cheerfully as she entered the living room, to where her husband was sitting on the couch and looking through his cards with a studious gleam in his eyes. There was a state tournament coming up in the near future, and he was getting ready to enter and compete in it if he had the desire to (on the one condition of him promising Ray that he would not try to go mad with revenge and destroy the world again).

However, upon hearing her sudden exclamatory statement, he carefully set down his main deck on the table, turning towards his beloved wife with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, Ray? What is it? I'm listening."

She shuffled her feet and averted his gaze at first, a habit she had developed whenever she had something to hide, a habit that Zarc was quick to pick up on. She was acting very suspicious. There was also that matter where she had kept her hands clasped behind her back, as if they were keeping something hidden out of his sight...

"Raaayyy...what are you hiding?" He edged on his question with a cute, puppy-dog look in his eyes that always made his wife melt. She took a deep breath to calm her excited nerves.

"Remember how I was feeling nauseous in the morning and extremely tired recently?" she started off in a light tone, looking at him straight in the eye. "Well...I went to the doctor yesterday."

Zarc's eyes immediately darkened with worry. "You did? Is something wrong? Are you feeling sick? Do you have something?"

She smiled at his concern. "Yes...I do have something. Well...someone, to be exact." She ended the cryptic riddle with a wide smile, and in that moment she brought her hands out from behind her back, holding a trio of strange, dual-colored devices.

Zarc's wing-like ears twitched as he stared blankly at the tests in her hands, not really understanding what they were at first. "What are those?"

She giggled. "Take a closer look at them. Do you see any similarities?" She stretched her hands out, allowing him to observe them at a closer range.

After swiftly taking one of the devices, Zarc peered at the results tentatively...before his eyes widened to impossible lengths, his mind crashing down all at once.

"Wait... You're WHAT!?"

Ray smiled warmly, barely containing her own joy as she held up the other tests in her left hand and showed the lines to her shocked husband. "That one was my third take...and they're all saying positive. I'm pregnant, Zarc."

Zarc still couldn't believe his own ears, clutching his forehead in shock. "No way...really?!"

"Really! No joke!"

"You're...I...I'm...going to be a father?!"

Ray laughed and launched herself into Zarc's arms. "Yes, you're gonna be a father, Zarc! I'm going to be a mother!"

Quickly, Zarc recovered from his shock and picked up his wife, twirling her into the air with a huge smile on his face. "We're going to be parents!"

Ray laughed at his display of affection as he leaned in to give her a loving kiss. He then wrapped his wings and tail around her and pulled her into a tight, warm, protective embrace, to which she reconciled by leaning against and hugging him. His clawed hands traveled down to her belly, feeling and rubbing it in circles lovingly as if trying to find the baby.

They broke the kiss eventually, looking deep into each other's eyes before collapsing on the couch together.

"That is wonderful news, Ray! I...I still can't believe it!" Zarc pulled her towards him, parting her hair to the side to see her exuberant features better.

Ray laughed, one of her hands tangling into Zarc's bangs as she tugged her shirt down over her stomach. "Oh, honey, we're already starting our little family! I wonder what Dad would think..."

Zarc waved off the last sentence with his hand and a playful scowl. "Who cares what Leo thinks? We're married now, we should be allowed to start our own lives and have kids!"

His wife smiled and pulled him into another kiss. "Very true. Though, we will have to tell everyone soon, sweetie. Otherwise, they'll figure it out themselves...and that might not be a great idea."

Zarc groaned at the fact but was not angry, still being rather content and super excited at becoming a father. "We'll get to that when we get there...eventually." He looked down at Ray's stomach, eying it with curiosity. "So...how many weeks are you along? Because we were 'together' not too long ago."

Ray smiled, playing with his hair still. "Well, I went to the doctor yesterday, which I didn't tell you about back then because I wanted to surprise you today. Apparently, I'm about three weeks along. The doctor said I could get an ultrasound when I'm twelve weeks in, so we can check the baby's gender and expected due date and all of that."

"That's...amazing." Zarc sighed happily and placed a hand carefully on Ray's stomach, resting it right above where his expected child was growing. "So in nine months, then?"

"Yeah...give or take." She chuckled, which made him smile widely.

"I'm so proud of you, Ray." He kissed her cheek, enjoying the moment with her.

Ray smiled in return, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the lips. "I love you, Zarc."

"I love you too, Ray." Zarc nuzzled her cheek before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down to rest on him. Soon, the young couple fell into a deep sleep onto the couch together, still entangled in each other's embrace and love.

"Ray i-is what now!?" Leo sputtered incredulously, his eyes widening as they darted from Ray, to Zarc, to Ray's belly, and then back to Ray.

"Pregnant," Zarc repeated, trying to keep his tone as neutral and even as possible to avoid his father-in-law's possible wrath. But that honor went to someone else.

"BRAAAAAAAAAUGH!" Shun roared primarily, flipping the table that he was sitting at as he Zexal Morphed through sheer rage. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN TO MY RURI!?"

"Wait, big brother! I'm not pregnant," Ghost Ruri patiently explained, materializing into the physical plane in order to calm her brother down from his overprotective-big-brother-instinct-induced rage. "Ray's the one who's having the baby."

"BUT THAT JUST MEANS YOU'RE 1/4 PREGNANT!" Shun howled in agony, forcing Reiji to hold him back as he threatened to destroy Yuto once again with his powers.

"Well, I think that's wonderful news! Congratulations, you two!" Yoko ended her happy cheer with a clap and then a hug with Ray, while Yubel swooned with delight.

"I'm gonna become a demonic grandmother!" she sighed, envisioning a swarm of demonic grandkids destroying the world just like her son nearly did.

"All is happening as was foreseen," Reira blandly commented while letting Rin and Yuzu braid his long and luxuriant hair.

"What was foreseen?" Yuzu asked the kid with an inquiring stare, but the boy went back to his coloring book by then.

"Can't say any more..." he mumbled lowly, his eyes wide as saucers. "Everything is as it should be..."

"Okaaaayyy..." She decided to ask him later about it.

As the commotion in the room rose to a loud, excited clamor, Zarc could only mentally facepalm. The family's reactions were exactly as he expected them to be, but in the very least, most of them were quite supportive with the idea of having a new member in the family...more or less.

But, of course, after the excitement of the news died down a bit for everyone, the endless wave of questions started springing up, one after another.

"So is this child going to be a demon...?" Zorc began.

"Or an angel?" Horakhty finished.

"Is it a boy or a girl!?" Yugo asked. "Can I play with it!?"

"Can Yuzu and I name it?" Yuya asked, looking hopeful.

"Is there anyone you know who is qualified to help deliver a hybrid human/dragon/demon/angel baby?" Himika asked, looking a bit concerned.

Ray laughed as she was bombarded with the attention, trying her best to answer them one at a time. "Yes, yes, hold on for a minu-!"

However, it was to no avail when Armityle stepped up to answer Himika's question. "If you's lookin' for a good helper, then I'm yo gurl, especially when it comes to my sis!"

"Armityle, you never delivered a baby before," Ray deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, it can't be dat hard."

Ray rolled her eyes playfully. "You'll see."

Zarc placed an arm and wing around Ray's shoulders. "Well, to answer some of your questions, it's a little early as of now to tell if it's a boy or a girl."

"As for the names," Ray continued, "Zarc and I already have a couple in mind for either gender, but if you want to pitch in a few more ideas, you're more than welcome to."

"Yuri Jr.!" Yuri pitched on instantly upon hearing the offer, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"You're not turning this kid into your personal minion!" Selena snapped back, glaring at him. "And besides, Selena Jr. would be WAY better than Yuri Jr.!"

"Serena Jr.? Puh-lease! That sounds worse than my idea!" Yuri mocked, making the Fusion girl very angry. "I mean, do you even hear yourself now?!"

"How about if I make sure that YOU will never have any kids to give that ridiculous name to?!" She raised her fist, ready to punch at Yuri, but their soon-to-be-physical quarrel was stopped before it even began by Yuto and Rin, who kept them away from each other.

"Guys, calm down! It's not your choice for the name to begin with!" Yuto reminded them while Yuri squirmed in his grip. "Zarc and Ray will have the final say in that matter."

"But we do appreciate your enthusiasm," Ray added cheerfully, trying to keep the atmosphere somewhat positive.

"YOU'RE WELCOME!" Yuri and Selena graciously and angrily snarled in unison as they clawed at each other's throats.

"Are there any, uhm...special considerations we need to take into account when it comes to the baby?" Leo nervously asked as he dialed the number of his Academia forces.

"The baby's not gonna destroy the world," Ray deadpanned again, narrowing her eyes at her dad.

"Well...not during the first week, anyway," Zarc thoughtfully added, earning him a glare from both Ray and Leo.

"We'll pull through if something like that happens," she answered in a serious tone. "But I highly doubt that something catastrophic will happen."

"Well, you said it now," Armityle teased, patting her sister on the shoulder. "Personally, it'll be interesting to be an auntie."

"Or 1/4 of an uncle," Shun added darkly, crossing his arms.

"Anyway," Ray continued onward from the topic, looking expectantly at everyone, "what do you all think? Any other questions or thoughts?"

"You're sure none of the other counterparts, particularly Ruri, got pregnant as a result of your...?" Shun began before trailing off.

"Any OTHER questions?" Ray asked, rolling her eyes at her 25% older brother and 75% younger brother spawned from the world she created with the power of her bracelets.

"What about the doctor?" Yoko raised her voice, tapping her chin with her right forefinger. "I mean, it had to be someone who is experienced with hybrids, for one thing."

Ray and Zarc shared a look before turning back to the woman. "Well...we're still trying to find the right obstetrician," she replied. "But until then, we have a few appointments in the future with the local clinic, so we have some time to find someone."

"I think I could be of assistance in this matter," A tall, emaciated, white-haired man with dark circles under his eyes cackled ominously.

"We're not THAT desperate!" Zarc growled, shoving away "The Doktor" before he could plant a brain Parasite in anyone's head.

"He's actually pretty good if you give him a chance," Leo shrugged.

"They can find someone better," Yusho sighed.

"Oh, we will," Zarc growled, remembering how the Doktor had attempted to control him as well as controlling Ray's counterparts. "Anyone but this guy. End of story. Even Armityle is better."

"Well, whose else do ya both have in minds, then?" Armityle added, folding her arms indignantly. "I'm still up fo' sale, ya know!"

"Look, guys, it's not like the baby is coming today, so we've got lots of time to plan this," Ray confidently affirmed, turning to her husband. "I mean...how hard can it be?"

"ZARC!" Her urgent yell resounded through the otherwise quiet house, and Zarc stopped himself on what he was doing at the moment (which was cleaning the master bedroom), his eyes widening in worry.

"Ray?! What's wrong?" he shouted back, running out of the room and searching around the house...eventually to find his wife in the bathroom, hunched over over the sink and panting heavily. A little puddle of water was left on the tiled floor behind her.

It clicked in his mind right then and there as Ray turned to face him, clutching her swollen abdomen. "The baby is coming today!"

Zarc immediately rushed over to his wife, cradling her in his arms in an effort to comfort her. "IT'S OKAY! IT'S OKAY! EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT!" He attempted to reassure Ray as he steadily began to hyperventilate. "Just remember the breathing techniques Injection Fairy Lilly told you! No! Get in the car immediately! No! Relax! I'll fly you there! Don't panic! Don't panic!"

It was even worse in Zarc's mind...ten times worse.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yugo screamed in horror, as he ran around in circles, unable to figure out what to do. "RIN!? WHERE'S RIN!?"

"GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" Yuto screamed, slapping Yugo in the face. "WE NEED TO BE STRONG FOR EVERYONE! WE CAN'T PANIC! SO STOP PANICKING!"

"STOP SCREAMING!" Yuri bellowed, setting the drapes in their room on fire out of sheer terror, and because he really felt like destroying something at that moment.

"THIS IS NUTS!" Yuya screamed. "WE'RE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS! WHAT WOULD THE GIRLS DO!?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Yuzu, Selena, Ruri, and Rin all screamed in unison, running around their bedrooms while waving their hands through the air in pure terror and excitement.

"WHAT DO WE DO?!" Rin screamed, clutching at her hair.

"I HOPE THE BOYS HAVE AN IDEA BECAUSE I DON'T!" Ruri added, trying to calm herself down by taking deep breaths. Yuzu came in to pat her shoulder while Serena turned to the couple.

"First, we all have to CALM DOWN!" she screamed. "The baby may be coming, but we still have some time!"

"YES! YES!" Ray agreed. "There's still time! ZARC!"

"YES!?" Zarc screamed, trying to maintain his macho-demon composure as the strain on his nerves increased exponentially.

"How fast do you think you can fly me to the hospital!?" Ray asked, trying to maintain her healthy breathing. "We can worry about the supplies and everything later!"

"With the amount of adrenaline in my veins, I'd say 2.5 seconds flat!" Zarc replied, spreading out his wings.

"Okay, that's perfect!" Ray struggled to her feet and regain balance, but was forced to bend over as another wave of pain went through her abdomen. Zarc was quick to thankfully support her, using his own arms to hold her up and comfort her as they walked slowly out of the bathroom. His mind raced at over a billion miles per hour and the energy fueled his veins with an excited fire, as the reality of what was happening came crashing down.

When they were out of the bathroom, Zarc immediately took action. "Hold tight to me, Ray!" he instructed as he bent his legs and spread out his wings, preparing to leap into the air. "I'll get us there!"

"ZARC!" Ray suddenly wailed, stopping Zarc before he could take off.

"What is it!?" Zarc asked, turning to his wife with concern. "Are you okay!? Is the baby already coming!?"

"The hospital's that way," Ray weakly groaned, pointing in the direction opposite to where Zarc was headed.

"Oh, uh, I knew that..." Zarc mumbled before quickly coughing and leaping into the air.

"Nice cover-up," Yuri snickered.

"Shut up, Yuri!" Zarc snarled to himself as he gently cradled his wife in his powerful demon arms. He flew as fast as he could, eying his wife occasionally to make sure that she was alright. She was clearly in mild discomfort, if her scrunched eyes and gritted teeth indicated otherwise. "Don't worry, Ray, we're almost there!"

"O-okay." She tried to smile up at him, but it turned out more as a pained grimace. In that moment, he had half a mind to transform into his Supreme King Dragon Z-Arc form so as to get to the location sooner, but that would unfortunately bring up a few other problems that he and Ray didn't have time for at the matter.

Eventually, the hospital came into sight below them, with the Emergency Room sign pointing near the back of the large building.

"Hurry, Zarc! Hurry, Zarc! Hurry, Zarc!" Yuya panicked, growing steadily more anxious.

"We're almost there!" Zarc growled. "How are you doing, honey!?"

"I'm, AUGH!" Ray replied, her face contorting with pain. "I'm okay! Just...ARGH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME!?"

"Keep breathing!" Yuzu, Rin, Ruri, and Selena instructed.

"Just get me to the darn hospital!" Ray roared, looking even scarier than Berserk Zarc as her body became wracked with pain. He answered with a quick, curt nod as he steadily performed small dives to the ground, being extremely cautious with the speed of his drops. He landed in the ground in seconds, arriving just in front of the Emergency Room department.

"Okay, we're here! Hang in there, Ray!"

"That's all I've been doing!"

He sprinted towards the double doors, opening them with a blast of his dark powers, startling the poor receptionist.

"M-m-may I help you?" Cure Mermaid whimpered as the evil, demonic dragon/demon/human who nearly destroyed the world walked up to her desk with Ray in his arms.

"Do you know if Nurse Reficule is in office and taking anyone else today?! We need an answer NOW!" Zarc answered with great urgency and wrath.

"O-o-of course, I'll check," she replied timidly, tapping away at the computer for a few moments. She nodded, which lifted their spirits. "Yes, she is in today."

"Can we schedule an appointment now?!"

"Uhm...well..." Cure Mermaid began before the doors opened and a demonic, mummified angel with purple hair and blades for wings entered the room in easy strides.

"Of course I can take the little dearie," Nurse Reficule rasped, scraping the walls with her sharp wings as she slowly stepped towards the couple. "Come right this way and I shall...heal you."

Ray looked at Zarc with an annoyed expression on her face. "We seriously chose her over Injection Fairy Lilly?"

"I don't like needles," Zarc replied before allowing a few assistant nurses to place his wife on a gurney and wheel her into the delivery room.

Ray sighed and shook her head as he walked alongside her in a quick pace, a small but genuine smile gracing her features. "Well...I guess this is it. Argh...I'm a little scared."

Zarc's own heart raced at a fast pace, which forced a shaky laugh out of him. "Yeah, I mean...you'll be fine, Ray."

Dr. Reficule tapped him on the shoulder with a bandaged, freezing-cold hand, which sent multiple shivers down his spine. "Don't you worry, we will take good care of your wife."

"You're lucky you're the same nurse who delivered me, otherwise, I wouldn't trust you," Zarc grimaced.

"Zarc! It's happening!" Ray called.

"Yuya, Yuto, Yugo, Yuri!" Zarc instructed. "Wait outside my mind-space! I'm gonna be with my wife! Same goes for you, girls!"

"Awwwwwwww..." Yuzu, Selena, Ruri, and Rin whined, anxious to see the miracle of birth for themselves. The boys, on the other hand...

"Oh, thank goodness!" Yuto gasped, wiping sweat from his brow. "I don't think I could have watched!"

"Wimp," Yuri sniffed, turning his head away from his counterpart.

"This coming from the same guy who covered up his face when Yugo scraped his knee," Yuya quipped.

"I AM PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF VIEWING PAIN AND SUFFERING, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" Yuri groused before the girls stood next to the boys in the hallway.

"So...do you think the kid is going to look like a mixture of Zarc and Ray?" Yuzu asked. "Or could it potentially have a mixture of our traits as well?"

"Who knows?" Yugo shrugged his shoulders. "I don't even know if it's a boy or a girl!"

"It's gonna be a boy," Serena deadpanned, glaring monotonously at him. "Don't you remember what the doctor said a couple months ago?"

"Really?" Yugo raised an eyebrow, turning to his counterparts with an irritated, exasperated look. "How come none of you told me it was gonna be a guy?!"

"You never asked us," Yuri replied bluntly, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't answer you either way. It would've been too easy."

"WHY, YOU DIRTY-!"

"Enough, both of you!" Yuto snapped, separating them before they could bite their opponent's head off.

"I always wanted a little brother/25% son!" Ruri crooned, closing her eyes and hugging herself at the thought of raising the baby.

"Well, he's my 25% son, too!" Rin hissed, causing the two girls to glare at each other.

"What's up with them?" Yuya asked.

"They're connected to Ray, so their motherly instincts are kicking in," Selena explained. "But don't worry, it shouldn't be too serious."

"Yeah," Yuzu agreed. "I'm sure we'll all get a chance to hold him."

"But I'll get first dibs, of course," Selena added smugly.

"Why you!?" Yuzu snarled, narrowing her eyes at Selena.

"I'm the most motherly out of all of us! I should get first pick!"

"Says you!" Rin protested. "I've been raising Yugo his whole life! Down to feeding and toilet training him!"

"You're still toilet training me!" Yugo enthused, trying to support his girlfriend/wife in a spiritual sense.

"Not now," Rin whispered, looking extremely mortified as the others looked at her weirdly.

Yuri snickered lowly, having heard the entire conversation. "Ha-ha, is that so?"

"Don't you start, cabbage boy!" Yugo snarled, which only made the Fusion counterpart's smirk widen.

"Try me, Fusion-kun."

"Boys, stop this right now! Come on, you both know better, especially concerning what today IS!" Yuzu interrupted their fight, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in annoyance. "Show some respect, at least!"

"Yeah, you both know better!" Ruri added, stepping in to help Yuzu. "The last thing any of us need is another fight!"

"Right," Selena agreed, walking over to help as well, "...but I still get first dibs on the baby."

"...We'll let Ray decide once it's time," Yuzu replied after a moment of thought, soliciting a nod of silent, consensual agreement from the other girls.

"So...how long are we gonna wait out here?" Yuri inquired, looking around their hallway surroundings with little interest. "I know this whole labor thing is gonna take a while, so we might as well not stand idly in this hallway. It's way too dank and white for my taste."

"For once, I agree with Yuri on this one," Yuto added, peering down the hallway to find any sort of waiting room. "We shouldn't go into the delivery room just yet, so there has to be something around here somewhere."

"We could use Serena's motherly instincts as radar," Yuri deadpanned, earning a glare from the Fusion girl.

"We could always just make the time go quicker with a neat little transition," Yuya proposed as they walked down to the waiting room, which was not far from their location.

"Yeah, but that would be totally lame!" Yuzu replied, laughing.

"And not to mention feel like completely lazy writing on the part of the authors," Yuri added as they arrived, slumping over a nearby chair with utter boredom.

"We could always...read the magazines?" Ruri proposed as she walked to a nearby book rack, picking up a magazine advertising the latest Xyz fashion trends in hair (namely, LOTS and LOTS of hair dyes).

"I'm not into any of them...except maybe the sports one," Rin admitted, snagging a magazine with a motorcycle on the cover from off the table.

"Seriously?" Selena asked incredulously. "We're gonna pass the time with reading?"

"Hey, reading is good for your brain and mental health," Yuri quipped. "Only an imbecile like you would consider it as a waste of time."

"Unless you want one or more of us to go crazy and start an unrealistic conflict for the sake of comic relief," Yuya deadpanned, glaring darkly at Yuri.

"Fair point," Selena conceded before she could pummel the Fusion boy to bits, instead picking up a quilting agazine and idly flipping through the pages.

Ray rested on the hospital bed on her back with Zarc standing by her side, groaning softly from the contractions. Her feathery-white wings, which had revealed themselves involuntarily in one of her past cycles, curled around her form, shaking visibly. The doctor quickly did a few tests on the machines, making sure that everything was progressing smoothly.

"Looks like you're doing just fine, Ray Akaba," Nurse Reficule replied after a few moments of silence, turning over to give an unintentionally (or intentionally) creepy grin at her.

"Fine?! How am I fine?!"

"Your eyesight is at an optimal level for a person of your age, for one thing," Nurse Reficule clarified. "Just keep eating carrots and you should be good to go."

"Uhm...nurse?" Zarc asked, looking a little anxious. "She's giving a baby."

"Don't distract me!" Nurse Reficule snapped. "I totally know what I'm doing! Now where's that Simochi? Hopefully, Ray won't have a bad reaction to it."

"You're CERTAIN you know what you're doing?" Zarc growled.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Nurse Reficule griped. "I'm delivering a hybrid baby into this world safe and sound instead of cutting down your Life Points like I usually do. I've totally got this!" Reficule reassured Zarc by giving him a swift pat on his wing. "I DID get my medical degree online after all. Now just take deep breaths, Ray."

"I'm trying, but it hurts!" Ray shouted back.

"Deep. Breaths." Nurse Reficule gave a no-nonsense glance at her. "It will be even more painful for you if you're stressed."

"Just chant with me," Zarc suggested. "Think about your favorite things. Think about a flower-covered field with birds flying through the wind-filled air while the moon shines in the night sky. Deep breaths."

"Okay..." Ray agreed, trying to let go of her stress as she thought of her favorite things.

She first thought of the pretty flowers as Zarc had suggested, remembering their different colors, shapes and sizes. She next pictured the beautiful songbirds, which always lightened up her day with a cheerful, melodious song. She thought of the wind and air, smiling upon remembering how it blew through her hair and kept her refreshingly cool. She then focused on the moon, how it shed its bright, cool glow amidst the darker night sky.

The treatment worked wonders, having allowed her to breath more slowly and steadily. Her wings relaxed, partially because of Zarc rubbing the feathers in one area in slow circles.

"Very good, Ray, very good," Nurse Reficule purred, "And now, moving on to the Caesarian section..."

"She doesn't need a C-section," Zarc mouthed under his breath so that his wife, who wasn't paying attention at the moment, couldn't hear him.

Nurse Reficule rolled her one unbandaged eye. "Fine, but just in case..." she extended one of her blade-tipped wings.

"How is the baby?" Zarc asked, changing the subject and keeping the blade away from his wife.

"Very awful!" Nurse Reficule exclaimed in horror.

"What!?" Zarc silently screamed, once again so his wife couldn't hear him. "What do you mean it's doing awful!?"

"I'm saying that your baby is malformed," Reficule sighed. "It's only a few pounds, has no dragon teeth, and can't even breathe fire."

"He's...a...hybrid!" Zarc screamed (silently).

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!" Nurse Reficule realized. "Well, in that case...just great."

"Are you sure you're an acclaimed obstetrician? Because you certainly aren't being very professional with your job," Zarc snarled ominously (away from his wife), his eyes turning into a low, bloody red.

Nurse Reficule laughed, raising her gloved hands. "I AM a professional that has delivered countless hybrids in the past as well as non-hybrids. I just like doing things my way, as it is more effective than what normal human doctors do."

"Right..." Zarc seethed, wishing he had listened to his wife and gone with Injection Fairy Lilly...or even Dian Keto the Curemaster, for that matter.

"Anyway, I'm gonna be right back to take care of a few other supplies, so you stay by your wife's side till I return," Nurse Reficule continued onward, checking the results of the machines one last time and writing down some notes in her clipboard. "Call me if anything changes, and I mean ANYTHING, okay?"

"Wait, what ab-?" But the nurse had already left the room before Zarc could finish his question. He snarled irritably, but his thoughts on the doctor immediately vanished when he turned to Ray, noticing her to be in deep thought. "Ray?"

Ray winced from another building contraction before weakly turning her head to find her husband's eyes. Her own eyes were scrunched with concentration and clouded with pain, and her body shuddered before she whispered, "Yeah?"

Zarc fiddled with his claws, unsure of what to say in the first step of fatherhood. "What are you thinking about?"

Ray smiled, a smile pulled on pale lips. "What..are...we going...to name...him?"

Zarc averted his eyes downward, her question leaving him in deep thought. Sure, there were a few names that circled around his head, but none of them seemed to fit.

However, he smiled as he took her hand into his, making sure to comfort her. "Don't worry, Ray, we'll find the perfect name for him soon enough. That is a promise."

She sighed light-heartedly, turning over to look at Zarc. "How can you be sure?"

Zarc wondered that himself. How could he be sure that the name would come to them? He couldn't explain why he had such a hunch, such confidence in a seemingly small matter.

Then again, he was about to be a father.

Before he could answer, however, Nurse Reficule came tramping into the room, thankfully scrunching up her wings so there was a bit more space in the small delivery chamber. A clipboard was held tightly in her claws as she leered what was supposed to be a smile and jotted down notes, before returning her attention to Ray. "Ah, yes, the baby's coming along nicely."

Zarc wasn't satisfied at the thin status report, and rolled his eyes. "I think we knew that already."

"Of course, but that isn't what I was looking at," Nurse Reficule added, looking over the machines with an eerily wide smile. "Looks like you're almost there, Ray. Heartbeat sounds good, cervix is up to ten centimeters, and the contractions are close together. At this point, I'll need to get some of the other doctors to help you with the delivery."

"Wait, what?"

The nurse smirked and waggled her fingers in a slightly creepy movement, once again heading out the door of the delivery room. "I'll be back in a moment to get them, and then we'll be able to have this baby. Ta-ta!"

"Wait!" Ray called, but the nurse was already gone.

"We definitely should've gone with Injection Fairy Lilly, fear or no fear of needles," Zarc grumbled lowly, which made Ray snicker softly.

"Well, everyone hates shots," she replied at first with a smile, before grimacing from the growing pain. Zarc was quick to notice, his gaze softening as he looked over at the graphs.

"Well, I'm no doctor, so I can't really understand most of these lines...but it does look like you're close, Ray," he confirmed in a quiet tone, which made the girl sigh in content.

Really?"

He turned back to her, his smile widening. "You're going to be a good mother," he whispered, gently patting Ray's shoulder.

"And you're going to be a good father," Ray sighed before grimacing in pain once again. Zarc leaned in to kiss her on the forehead, lingering for a few moments to be with her. She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to focus more on her husband than the pain.

"You'll be fine, Ray," he reassured, rubbing her shoulder.

"Aaaargh!" Ray screamed again, unable to block out the agony she was feeling. "Where's Reficule!?" she gasped, sweat beading on her forehead as the pain intensified.

"Here we are!" Nurse Reficule sang, waltzing into the room with Cure Mermaid, Dr. Faker, Dr. Frankenderp, and Dr. Aki from Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's following close behind her.

"Oh, looks like just in time, too," Cure Mermaid added in a beautiful, singing voice and with more confidence than before, checking over the results. "Good, good."

"Alright, here is what we will need you to do," Dr. Aki nodded over to the others before turning back to Ray. "We're gonna first take an epidural block to help you relax to make the delivery a little easier. That way, you won't feel or be in much pain."

"When we perform the C-section," Nurse Reficule clarified, pulling out a butcher knife from...nowhere.

"When you perform the what now!?" Ray exclaimed in shock.

"Ignore Nurse Reficule," Dr. Aki whispered in Ray's ear.

"She got her degree online," Dr. Faker added, winking.

"I also got my degree online!" Dr. Frankenderp enthused, pulling out I-Pad so that everyone could see.

"Is there anyone here who did NOT get their medical degree from online?" Zarc growled.

Cure Mermaid smiled as she prepared the needle with the pain-numbing medicine. "Don't worry, they are the only two. I had mine here in this hospital, same with Dr. Faker and Dr. Aki. Now, Ray, I'm going to need you to lay on your side and turn away from me so I can perform the injection, okay?"

"Okay," Ray complied with slight worry and laid on her right side, exposing her back to allow the shot. Zarc took a slight step back at the sight of the surprisingly long needle.

"I-is that really necessary?" he asked in a slight stutter, eying the device warily. He couldn't help it; the sight of needles always left him feeling very uneasy, considering his past experiences with them.

"Don't worry, this will h-help her with the pain," Cure Mermaid answered him in a slightly shaky tone, moving some of Ray's feathers to the side before performing the epidural block. The angel groaned from the sting, but nevertheless held on to the rail.

Zarc, meanwhile, almost fainted.

"There you go, you're doing good," Dr. Faker soothed the girl.

"For any normal human, it would take around twenty minutes for the medication to kick in, but considering your half-angel physiology, it should only take a few moments," Aki continued as Cure Mermaid quickly removed the needle. Ray rolled back to her previous position, now shivering extensively as the effects of the injection started to take place.

"Al-alright...it's cold, though." She shivered some more.

"Don't worry, that's perfectly normal." Dr. Faker rubbed his forehead before turning to the other doctors. "Now, we only have a few moments to get you into position now. Aki, you take her left leg over there..."

Zarc had no idea what to do in that moment. He could only watch as the doctors helped his wife to a more comfortable position on the bed for the labor, her pained features slowly disappearing into pure concentration.

"Ray..."

"Alright, Ray, on my mark, we're gonna ask you to push, okay?" Aki smiled, checking the angel. "Take deep breaths and concentrate. This will all be over before you know it."

"O-okay..." Ray panted, gasping for breath as the other doctors helped her. Zarc tried to assist them as well, but Dr. Faker motioned for him to back away just a bit to give the other doctors some room. It didn't help his growing anxiety in the slightest.

"Very good, Ray!" Cure Mermaid chirped. "Now, I need you to take a deep breath...that's good...now, PUSH!"

"Aaaaaaugh!" Ray screamed, complying with the doctor's commands.

"Good," Cure Mermaid congratulated. "Eight...nine...ten...good, good, good. Take a deep breath, breathe, breathe, Ray. You're doing great! Now...push!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!" She scrunched up her face, feeling an intense pressure building up in her abdomen.

"And ten. Relax, you're almost there. Just take deep breaths," Cure Mermaid complimented, smiling at Ray, who was gasping for air, while making sure everything was progressing smoothly. "One more time, one more, okay?"

Something was dreadfully wrong! Zarc could feel it! This wasn't giving birth! This was sheer torture, even for a demon! How could the others stand to watch with perfectly calm expressions on their faces while his Ray suffered like she was dying!? If this horrifying scene continued onward..

"RAY!"

He was about to fly into a fiery rage and destroy everything when...he heard something screaming...

That voice...it was HIS voice! HIS scream! It was the sound of...his son.

Zarc watched with wide eyes at the sight of the newborn being supported in the doctor's hand, crying loudly. Whatever fiery anger that flowed through his veins dissipated immediately, only to be replaced with an inexplainable joy in his heart. Ray was even more overcome with emotion; her face was bathed in sweat and tears, but despite all the pain, all the blood, all the suffering, all the anxiety, he had come.

Their son had arrived.

Despite being mostly covered in blood, Zarc could see the defined green hair and purplish-pink bangs framing the boy's forehead. His scrunched eyes opened up slightly, although it was a little too dark to see the color of his irises. The grayish-black wings and tail, the quivering limbs having a slight skeletal frame with feathers sprouting at the ends and horns at the tips, curled around his body as he wailed from the uncomfortable presence of the cold draft of air, seeking for any kind of warmth. And on his neck and shoulders, around the base of his wings, there were tiny specks of dragon scales, appearing as black dots.

Zarc held his breath, suddenly having a strong, instinctual urge to hold and love his son. But as much as he and Ray wanted to do that at that moment, there was still some work to be done. Wasting no time, the doctors immediately went to work cleaning the baby, helping Ray give birth to the placenta, and cutting the umbilical chord.

Everything passed by in a thick blur of time, and Zarc couldn't help but smile widely, taking in the reality of everything. The sounds of the newborn's cries still echoed throughout the room and pierced the tranquility in the hallway, alerting the others.

The counterparts looked around to each other, each having a smile on their face (except Yuri, who clamped his ears from the "annoyingly loud" noise).

"Is that the baby?" Yugo asked with curiosity. "Can we go in to see it? Is it crying because it's sad?"

"Don't ask such ridiculous questions, idiot," Yuri snapped. "It's crying probably because it's a baby. Babies cry, end of story."

"Hey, are you at least a little happy for them?" Serena huffed, backhanding him in the head. Yuri yelped and growled, rubbing his head.

"Why wouldn't I be? Why wouldn't I be happy that we now have a new member that will cry and keep us awake every night for the next few months? Why wouldn't I be looking forward to that?!"

Serena sighed, crossing her arms. "You are truly a hopeless case. Personally, I do wonder when we will be able to see the boy."

"We can in a few minutes," Yuzu replied, standing next to Yuya and hugging him.

"I'm still gonna try and hold it first." Rin grinned, rubbing her hands with excitement.

"Fine by me." Ruri shrugged her shoulders. "Yuto and I have been working on some names for it."

"Really? Like what names?" Yuri inquired warily.

Ruri tapped her chin. "Well, since it's a boy, the best options that we came up with were Alex, Ryuuki, Tatsuya, and...ugh, what was the last one?"

"I believe it was...you know what, I can't remember either." Yuto scratched his head, trying to think of the last name. "We had it a few days ago."

Just then, Nurse Reficule approached the group. "Well, it's alive...surprisingly." She also shrugged. "You can all come in, but be careful, everyone's still recovering a little."

"Thanks, but no th-!" Serena slapped a hand over Yuri's mouth and gave him an irritated, scolding look before grinning sheepishly at the nurse. Everyone else looked equally excited and followed the doctor willingly (while Serena had to literally drag Yuri behind them).

Yuya was extremely nervous, considering that he and Yuzu were the closest counterparts to the couple. He didn't know what to say or think at the moment, so all he could do was grip his pendant. Yuzu, noticing his anxiety, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Yuya," she reassured, casting a warm smile. "Everything will be okay."

"I hope they're alright," he sighed to himself as they approached the creaking door to the room. Dr. Reficule pushed it open with ease, allowing the counterparts to enter.

Their first sight was that of Zarc, who was standing by Ray's side as she cradled the baby in her arms. She was still looking quite weary, but was nonetheless very happy. When the counterparts approached, she and her husband smiled at them before turning the bundle in her arms, allowing them to take a look.

Ruri, Serena, and Rin all screamed happily at the sight of the baby, while Yugo and Yuto walked over to Zarc to give him their congrats. Yuri was more reluctant, but nevertheless nodded in approval, leaving the last couple in their thoughts, with Yuzu covering her mouth and wiping away tears from her eyes.

Yuya gasped upon seeing the flashy green hair on the boy's head, ending in tiny spikes at the sides and downward that were similar to his. And the bangs, the purple-pink bangs that reminded him way too much of Yuzu's...there was no way that the similarities were only a coincidence.

The baby then opened his eyes slowly, and Yuya's heart leaped upon seeing the mesmerizing, reddish-purple irises. His mind went blank, and only one word escaped his lips.

"Enoch." He didn't know where the word came from...but it felt right. It just did.

"Why was I thinking the exact same thing as you?" Yuzu asked, holding Yuya's hand in her own.

"Enoch," Ray mused.

"It's perfect," Zarc agreed, staring down at their son. Nobody dared argue with that; it WAS a perfect name.

"Welcome to the world," Ray soothed as the weary infant looked up into her eyes, a small smile spreading over his young face. "Our little Enoch."

Said newborn cooed, eventually giving a high-pitched yawn and resting his head on Ray's chest with a thump, leaving the wife to place her hand on Enoch's head. Yuya and Yuzu smiled at the heartwarming scene, with more tears threatening to flow down their cheeks.

"Congratulations, you two," Ruri cheered, reaching down to hug Ray. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Same here," Rin added, shedding a few tears while Yugo let loose a whole river on Yuri's shoulder, much to the Fusion counterpart's annoyance.

Yuya turned to Zarc, who had an uncharacteristically soft look in his eyes. He smiled, having a pretty good idea on what his reincarnation might be experiencing at the moment.

"How does it feel...to be a father?"

"I've spent my whole life being bred to destroy the world," Zarc murmured, never taking his eyes off of his son. "And now...this...I..." A lone tear trickled down his face; he was left in a loss for words.

"That good, huh?" Yuya asked, unable to prevent a flood of his own tears. Zarc only nodded silently, closing his eyes in a half-hearted attempt to contain his overwhelming joy.

"Somebody needs to say or do something stupid right now just to add some comic relief!" Nurse Reficule wailed. "This is just too beautiful!"

"Can I punch Yugo?" Yuri deadpanned as he prepared his fist, becoming disgusted with the Synchro counterpart's sobbing. "His blubbering is making a mess on my uniform."

Serena answered his question by moving Yugo off of him, glowering coldly at her Fusion half. "No."

"Mmmmm..." Ray mused quietly, "I think this situation calls for something like..." she paused on a dramatic note, teasing the counterparts, "letting you all have a turn holding Enoch."

All four of the girls gasped before squealing with excitement, making Yuri cringe and cover his ears again.

"Just don't drop him," Zarc growled.

Everyone took heed of Zarc's warning, while Yugo raised his hand to go first. "Oh, please! Can I go, can I?"

Yuri rolled his eyes. "You're way too enthusiastic for your own good."

Ray smiled as the Synchro counterpart ignored Yuri's insult. "Of course, Yugo," she replied with a weary laugh, allowing him to hold the young baby wrapped in the blanket, who was half-asleep at this point. "Just be careful."

"Careful is my middle name," Yugo crooned, surprising everyone when he managed to not only hold the baby without any mistake, but also caused Enoch to awaken and giggle with delight when he let the infant tug on his yellow bangs.

The joy lasted for a few moments before he turned to Rin, who was standing behind him. She took Enoch from his arms and rocked it gently, smiling down at him. She passed him to Serena, who gave him to Ruri and Yuzu, each giving their own unique congratulations and love to the baby. The guys watched with interest, and eventually, it was Yuri's turn.

Only Yuri looked suspicious. "Okay...if you idiots somehow think that me looking upon the pure and innocent form of a baby will somehow cure me of my evilness, then-!"

"Just take the baby," Selena sighed, skipping the bundle into Yuri's arms.

Yuri stared into Enoch's eyes, his own violet eyes widening with astonishment. "Can't be...impossible!" he gasped, unable to believe how pure and not evil the baby was.

Enoch looked up at him with curiosity, his pupils contracting into thin slits that mirrored Yuri's. He then laughed, reaching up to touch the Fusion boy's bangs. Yuri tried to keep his face away from Enoch, but the cuteness of the young infant was too much for him.

"His eyes are even innocent...WHY DO YOU GUYS HAVE TO TORTURE ME LIKE THIS?!"

Serena covered her mouth and snickered at the boy's attempt to resist Enoch's irresistible charms. "Looks like he likes you, cabbage head. Shocking."

"Umm...yeah, fine." Ignoring the insult, Yuri let loose a shaky chuckle before quickly handing Enoch over to Yuto. "Alright, he is...somewhat likable."

"Wow. What a surprise," Serena deadpanned, giving a blank stare at Yuri.

"Awwwww..." Yuto exclaimed, rocking Enoch in his arms. "You almost make me forget about all the harrowing events of the invasion that scar my soul to this day."

Enoch made a little popping noise with his mouth, causing Yuto's heart to melt before the poor Xyz user had to hand the baby over to Yuya. Now that he had a closer look, the Entertainer was left in complete awe and loss of words of the young boy's appearance.

Enoch cooed when he recognized the color of Yuya's hair and eyes, thinking that the man was his father for a moment. He reached up and tapped the Standard counterpart on the chin repeatedly with his palm, making the man chuckle with delight. The small claws that the boy flexed on his fingers were too small and stubby to leave any marks on his skin, not that he would've minded either way.

Enoch was perfect, absolutely perfect. That was for certain. Yuya felt a true peace in his soul before looking up at Zarc, who was looking at the child expectantly.

"I think it's time for his dad to have a turn," Zarc whispered before taking the baby from Yuya.

"Of course," Yuya complied, smiling warmly at his reincarnation.

Zarc looked down at his child with a warm smile and tearful eyes, taking note of his son's chubby face. Enoch glanced up at him with mild interest, noticing that his father appeared VERY different from everyone else. He kept his hands close to his chest, staring at him with slitted pupils that matched his father's.

Sensing that Enoch might be a little scared of his dragon-like features, Zarc spoke in a surprisingly calm, soothing voice, protectively keeping him close to his chest. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here...I'm here."

It seemed to work, as Enoch slowly reached up to touch one of his wing-like ears, gripping reflexively and then giggling at the rough texture of it. Zarc chuckled at the gesture, nuzzling his forehead on the baby's and kissing him. Almost everyone awed at the sight, with some of the girls leaning against their boyfriends/husbands for support.

"You're going to be a good father," Ray complimented in a tired tone, her eyes beaming with joy.

"Welcome to your family, Enoch," Zarc whispered lowly. This left a smile on his son's face, who waved his arms excitedly. "My son."

COME ON, YOU WERE SMILING THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE THING. 8D Welcome to your new life, Enoch! So yeah, if anything knows us, they know where this is going... And forgive any inaccuracies to pregnancy/delivery and labor. I tried to make it SOMEWHAT accurate (yes, I did a little research...mostly emotional).

And speaking of which, I have an extra question directed to you as the reader; do you want us to focus the next three chapters on the introduction of the next three kids, OR do you want us to focus on each of the kids' lives and perspectives on life, starting with Enoch in the next chapter while Ray is...well...NOT SAYING (but who am I kidding? It should be obvious by now).

Also, if anyone wants to see a full-length picture/image of Enoch, you can visit my G+ profile (link is in the bio). I have him as well as one of the other kids (so spoilers).

Either way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D And till next time, this is CTA out! And God is holy!