A/N: Hi everyone! I apologize for being late. I was supposed to have this up this Friday but because of internet issues in my dorm, I had to wait until it was fixed. Sorry for the long wait! I hope you all enjoy the last chapter!

Chapter 8- "Taking Xia"

A few months later, I went into labor. It happened while I was laying in bed thinking about Eltrio. It was another tough day to deal with. It was mid afternoon when a fluid came out. The intense pains began to start. I knew I was going into labor, the signs had all started. Some tears escaped my eyes, Eltrio wasn't here to encourage me and hold my hand throughout the delivery.

It was a painful realization.

"Father, my baby!" I yelled. "I'm in labor!"

Chen Mui quickly ran to get the Dragovian doctor. The Dragovian doctor quickly came to our house and assessed my condition.

The Dragovian doctor said there would be complications and that the delivery would be difficult. I was very ill at the time and my depression never went away. As Chen Mui would later say, he was watching the life drain out of me. This would prove to be challenging since so much energy and stress were going to put on the body.

I was very weak so the pregnancy did take it's toll at times. It was very difficult. I was in a lot of pain, the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. My screaming and shouting could be heard throughout the sanctuary.

I breathed heavily. Despite my child being an abomination, a midwife and nurse was called in by the Dragovian doctor. My condition was delicate and needed more management. Both midwife and nurse agreed to assist with the delivery and were very nice.

My breathing was difficult as I pushed. It was very awful. It was worst than the pain I would get with my blood cycles. I want to say about one thousand times worse. This was definitely one of the curses of being a woman. It was our job to deliver life.

The midwife placed a warm cloth with medicine on my head as she instructed me to push.

Chen Mui was outside of the door as the nurse updated me on my condition. Chen Mui went to go get more water to help with the delivery. I continued to push as my breathing became more labored. The midwife changed the cloth and put on a new one, as I was given more water to drink.

"Is everything going ok, Xia?" the midwife asked. "Deep breaths now."

"I feel weak..." I replied softly. "The pain is unbearable..."

The nurse decided to have me lay in my bed to make it easier on me. The midwife agreed as more water was given to me. A medicine was given to me to help with the pain of the childbirth.

I fainted a few times. The nurse and midwife were very concerned and tried the best they could to keep me conscious. My condition was complicated by an illness and my bad condition from my depression. The midwife was concerned about my baby but I wasn't.

"I'm not worried." I smiled. "As long as the baby is healthy and alive, I'm happy."

Chen Mui sat outside worried and began pacing. The Dragovian doctor did warn that there was a possibility of death because of my weakened condition. Chen Mui had only hoped I would survive and that things would be alright. The Dragovian doctor wanted the best for me regardless of the situations that happened. He never dealt with a high risk pregnancy as complicated as mine.

"I'm not sure Chen Mui." the Dragovian doctor replied. "Xia is not as healthy to be in labor. It is a complicated case."

My breathing continued to be labored. The nurse fixed my pillows and made sure I was more comfortable. The nurse made sure I was fed and that I continued taking medicine. The medicine did help with the pain but I could still feel most of it.

I continued pushing and screaming. The labor was very difficult. I had a very hard time. I thought about how when we were little, how we all thought that having a baby someday would be fun. We were naive then about the delivery part. I had no idea it would be so difficult and painful.

I continued pushing and breathing for what seemed like an eternity.

The midwife's eyes widened. She began seeing the a little bit of my baby's head. It was very exciting. I only wished Eltrio was here to see the birth of his child. He would've been so proud as a new father. It was very sad in a way.

OOO

After many hours later of complications and labor, my child was born. Chen Mui rushed into the room as I was handed my child. It was a boy. I was very happy to hear the midwife and nurse say that he was healthy baby. I was very worried that my ailing health would harm my precious baby.

It was a constant fear.

"He's beautiful..." I replied weakly. "He's so beautiful..."

Chen Mui got to hold his grandson and smiled as he looked at me. "Xia, he's so beautiful."

Chen Mui saw my condition worsen as I smiled. "Don't worry about me...I just want to rest now..."

"Xia!" Chen Mui gave the baby to the midwife and ran to get the Dragovian doctor.

"Can...I...have my...baby.." I asked weakly.

The midwife gave me the baby as he cried. I felt so exhausted and weak. I could feel my eyes closing. I knew I was going to leave this world. I was so weak and in my condition, the childbirth took it's final toll on me.

I always had a sense I would die because I didn't recover from Eltrio's death.

The midwife tried to get me to stay away as I smiled. "I'm alright...please don't worry...about me..."

Chen Mui ran back as the Dragovian doctor followed behind him.

"Father..." I replied weakly. "I love you..."

I reached for him as Chen Mui held my hand. "Xia...Oh, Xia..."

"I'm going to... rest now..." I replied weakly. "I'm so tired..."

Chen Mui tried shaking me again. "Xia...please Xia...please don't leave...Xia!"

"Eltrio..." I barely got out. "My Eltrio..."

Chen Mui tried shaking me again and realized after awhile I was gone. Chen Mui broke down as soon as the Dragovian doctor shook his head and said that I was no longer living. It pained Chen Mui so much to lose me because he knew in truth he was watching my life slip away from me.

"Xia!" my father screamed. "My Xia! Not my Xia!"

It was a shame that our son was robbed of both of his parents. He no longer had his mother or father because they were united in death. Eltrio and I should've been there to raise our child but in reality we would never be able to fulfill that responsibility. It was a heartbreaking. The world could be so cruel and unforgiving and I learned that through losing Eltrio and breaking my Dragovian traditions. The world could easily turn its back on you if it wanted to, it was reality and life.

My duty was done. It was to bring my child into the world. The Goddess decided it was time for me to leave. She made the choice and we couldn't fight the Goddess's will. I had wished she had made things easier for myself and Eltrio but alas she can't grant every wish. I had only wished things ended better but in the end, I wasn't separated from Eltrio anymore.

In a way, I was released from all the horrible pain I was in. There wasn't a day that went by where I didn't feel that emptiness and the loss. Everyday, I had to wake up to it and relive it everyday even when I went to bed. There was no cure for my depression and hurt. I didn't have the will after Eltrio departed.

I knew Chen Mui wouldn't let anything bad happen to my son. He held my baby and was so overjoyed despite how he was conceived. He became a grandfather and he couldn't wait for the day I would give him grandchildren. He got what he desired but I was taken away.

Chen Mui never got over my death. It deeply scarred him. He would later have so many regrets over not letting Eltrio be in my life. He was alone and this time for good.

OOO

Chen Mui had many struggles after I died. It included what was going to be done about my son. Chen Mui got into many arguments and disagreements with the elders. It wasn't easy and it took a very long time to come to a decision. The Lord of Dragovians was still bitter about the whole thing.

Many fights were fought at the house of the elders, the Dragovians can tell you they could hear the fighting most days. No one could agree on what the best course of action was. The very thing they feared and didn't have to deal with ended up being their biggest challenge.

I honestly thought the Dragovians were afraid of change and it caused them to not take measures lightly. They shut themselves off from the world of humans because they didn't want the race to be tainted or for their traditions to change. It was mostly fear of what the unknown would bring.

Chen Mui fought endlessly.

The Lord of Dragovians decided that no one could leave the sanctuary ever again. The tragedy really did shake up the entire sanctuary. Laria, my best friend had a very hard time getting over my death.

"Xia, should've got what she wanted!" Laria said this countless times. "She didn't have to die!"

Her husband would hear none of it. "Xia, caused this on herself and shamed the whole Dragovian race."

Laria would often leave after this and cry in her garden. It deeply effected her.

The whole sanctuary would never get over what happened. Some Dragovians grew to hate humans even more after what happened between myself and Eltrio. The Lord of Dragovians became extremely bitter. He didn't want to see this happen every again because he felt what peace the Dragovians had being isolated was destroyed. He felt things wouldn't be as peaceful again.

The Lord of Dragovians also went to madness after performing a ritual that was made to prevent my son from remembering his time in the sanctuary. The elders thought it was the best thing to do. They didn't want my son to remember, they thought it would've been too complicated given the Dragovian's feelings towards humans. It made no sense to have my son in a place where he didn't belong in the first place.

The sanctuary went into hard times after that. As I predicted, my son was banished from the sanctuary. It was inevitable, it would eventually happen due to how my son was conceived. I knew Chen Mui wouldn't allow my son to go into world on his own. He begged the Lord of Dragovians to let him go into the human world with my son. The Lord of Dragovians granted his wish.

I knew my son would return to the sanctuary. Some day he would return where he was winds would guide him back.

Eltrio and I would watch from heaven. He would one day learn of the tragedy. That he had royal blood and Dragovian blood coursing through him. I'm not sure how he would react but I know he would feel some sadness and probably a bit of anger for how things happened.

Life was a gift and in no way did I want my son to relive what Eltrio and I did. I wanted a better life for him. Eltrio and I should've had that peaceful life and I always wonder what would've happened if we did.

End