Burrowed under her many blankets, Soonkyu’s eyes scrunched closed even tighter when the cry of an infant dragged her unwillingly from her sleep.  Always tired and usually cold, it was a real struggle clawing her way up from the blessed escape of unconsciousness.  But then another piercing wail joined the first and she sighed.  There was no way either would go back to sleep now…

                “I’m up, little ones,” she cooed in a groggy voice with her eyes still partially closed.  Frazzled waves of dark curls crowded her face and she swept the worst offenders back with her fingers before sitting up with a customary shiver.  It might have been the end of summer but it was still cold in this part of the world.  Always.

                Another dual set of piercing cries made her wince as she swung her covered feet out from under the blankets, groggily putting them on the floor.  She could practically feel the dark circles under her eyes as she peered at the small, deep sleeping bed beside hers.  Within were two tiny, layered and covered bundles of red faced joy, when they weren’t making her feel like a miserable, haggard human being anyway.

                “Shh,” Soonkyu soothed, standing up to straighten her soft leather and fur sleeping clothes before she leaned over each baby in turn.  “Mother’s here,” she smiled, a gentle warmth lighting her face up as she hefted one and then the other into her arms.  There was no telltale smell yet, which meant they were probably hungry.  By the general darkness of her small home, she figured it wasn’t even daylight, but that hadn’t stopped them before.  “I know, I know,” she yawned, awkwardly huddling under the blanket so that she could be as warm as possible with them.

                The air was cold on her bare s as she freed them from her wrappings and both tiny mouths fell silent when they were finally given what they wanted.  With a long suffering but content sigh, Soonkyu forced her eyes open again to look at the young features of her children in the dim light.  Barely more than a week old, it was hard to tell if either looked like her or their father.  Granted, she wasn’t entirely sure who she had shared her bed with the night they’d been conceived.

                At the time, she had thought it was her husband.  Gone on a supply trip to Trelith, he had been away longer than he should have.  As a result, she prayed to the Moon god and goddess, asking for their blessing in bringing him home safe; even if they had not been most giving of late, it was always better to ask those whose realm they lived in as opposed to the Sun god and goddess.  When he had stepped through her door some time after sundown, she hadn’t thought anything of it other than joy and relief that her husband had returned like she asked.  She didn’t even question that he had no supplies and that he hardly spoke a word.  Nor did she complain when he took her to bed with a breathless intensity she hadn’t expected.

                It had been a wondrous night indeed.  Which made the morning all the more bitter when she woke to find that he was gone.  For days, she thought she might have gone mad or that it had been nothing more than a particularly… vivid dream brought on by her fear that he wasn’t coming back.  Speaking to her neighbors had almost made her believe it had never actually happened and that she was just suffering from heartache at the possible loss of her husband.  He would not be the first that had failed to return from such a journey.  And in winter, it was harder still.

                But then she had felt off, like something was not quite right, or at least different.  Going to the medicine woman gave her a whole new worry to concern herself with.  For one, who exactly was the father?  By all counts, she had thought it was her husband, but he should have had no need to leave immediately and disappear.  So if it wasn’t him, then was it somehow his spirit taking physical form for that one night?  That was also strange and the mere thought made her distinctly uncomfortable.  Barring those possibilities, it had been someone that looked exactly like her husband or… a god.

                ‘Why?’ was the biggest question.  Or rather, why her?

                “Done are you?” Soonkyu cooed as her little girl turned her head away, little mouth yawning sleepily with her eyes already closed and tiny, mittened fists waving in front of her.  She was normally just as hungry as her brother but it hadn’t been that long since they’d eaten last.  But if they really were the children of a god, everyone knew they would be Dreamers.  Honestly, Soonkyu wasn’t sure how she felt about that, but she knew one thing: she didn’t want to give them up.  Of course, she also hadn’t known she was going to have twins at the time.

                Moon gods.  That had been tough.  She’d only spoken with Sandara when she let the medicine woman know she was going to move to the hunting lodge her family had left her before they’d passed a couple years ago.  Villagers, and even a few friends, had already started giving her strange looks as news of her unorthodox pregnancy made the rounds.

                “Goodness you’re hungry this morning,” she laughed at Jongup as he continued to le happily, contented noises streaming from him.

                And bless the medicine woman for being able to start rumors that were not exactly kind to Soonkyu but that would allow her some peace for her children.  Being known, however falsely, as even a one time to a man she thought – in her worried and early grief stricken mind – was her husband wasn’t something she enjoyed, but they were worth it.  The hardships of her pregnancy and the ache of being alone had been worth the pain of childbirth because these two were the result.  She’d always wanted children too, but they’d never been able to manage it by themselves.  Now that it had, she couldn’t imagine life without them.

                But that also led to her second concern: taking care of them by herself.  Sandara made the journey when she could, but she had an entire village to look after.  An exception had been made when Sunyoung and Jongup had been born, but the aging woman could not be requested to return all the time.  Soonkyu had long since given her husband up, and she accepted that, but it did not make her already strained life any easier adding two more mouths to feed and watch after.

                “There you go,” she murmured when Jongup was finished as well, settling into a comfortable rest for the time being.  In another mark or so, Soonkyu realized they would likely be crying again, to change their wrappings or to be fed again, but at least she never had a problem with the latter.  Despite her inability to get as much food as she would prefer, she never lacked milk for the babies.  And that was a small blessing at least.  “Your mother may not be the perfect woman,” she quietly explained in a soothing tone, “but at least she’s hardy and resourceful.”  Most women who lived in this part of the world had to be.

                Her job finished, the weariness of being a single mother settled in quickly again.  Stifling a yawn of her own, Soonkyu shuffled from the bed to deposit them back into their sleeping space with infinite care.  The moon knew they’d be up for marks if she woke them now.  With a gentle hand, she smoothed their fur lined blankets over them and then scrubbed at her tired face.

                “Let momma sleep for a little bit longer now, okay?” she pleaded quietly, shuffling to her bed so she could collapse into the inviting warmth once more.  “Just for a bit,” Soonkyu sighed as weariness took her almost as soon as she was settled.

                Arms crossed over his chest, foot tapping impatiently on the ground, Hyukjae chewed his bottom lip as he looked out over the frozen sea.  Behind the temple, he could feel Hyoyeon steadily working, but he was anxious.  It was almost time or already time since the children would be born.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t just freely wander around Soonkyu’s house to make sure everything was alright.  The other gods would get suspicious if he made a habit of it.  So far as he knew, she was still well enough from the last time he had been able to check on her.

                Ruffling his hair in his hand, he sighed and wandered through the empty halls until he reached the back of the temple.  In the garden, now little more than a crystalline ice grove, he saw Hyoyeon patiently crafting something.  “Are you sure she was fine when you saw her last month?” Hyukjae called out, coming to stand beside Hyoyeon.

                The moon goddess raised a brow and gave him a sidelong look.  “I would not lie to you.  Nor would I be making this if she was not,” she reminded her husband with a glance at the forming ice sculpture.

                Hyukjae turned dark, worried eyes on the figure coming together oh so slowly.  Hyoyeon had started working on it not long after he’d returned and they’d confirmed their plan had worked.  Bit by tiny bit, she’d infused it with life and then started to carve the form into the frozen pillar.  “Why are you making him taller than me?” he murmured unhappily, eyes lingering on the small mouth with full lips.  Self-consciously, his fingers moved to touch his own, worried they were too thin.

                “Jealous are you?” she smiled and laughed in response.

                “No, but… he doesn’t need to be taller does he?” Hyukjae persisted anyway, shifting from foot to foot.

                “I can’t change him now,” Hyoyeon reminded him calmly as she stepped back to turn her full attention on Hyukjae.  “But we both know he’s not for you anyway,” she teased, tapping him on the nose with one cold finger before she rose up to kick his quickly on the lips.

                His demeanor shifted a hair at her reassuring attention, but he couldn’t help but wonder.  “You could have made him less attractive,” he had to add, not missing the defined marks of would be musculature in the figure.  “And not as… complete.”

                Hyoyeon followed where his gaze was just pulling away from and giggled.  “You forget, love,” she sighed, taking his arm in hers as she leaned against him.  “I’m making him for a woman who has not had the pleasure of a man to keep her company of late.  In part, courtesy of you,” she stated plainly, her tone shifting slightly to remind him she hadn’t been entirely happy about that either.

                Mutely, Hyukjae pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips against her hair.  “I know, dear.  I’m sorry,” he apologized, holding her tight as he pushed everything else away from his mind.  She hugged him back and rested her head against his shoulder, fingers curled into the fabric of his vest.  “How long do you think he’ll take to finish?”

                The goddess laughed once, patting his chest with her hand.  “Not long.  Maybe another week or so.  I’ve been taking my time so they wouldn’t notice,” she explained, obviously concerned they wouldn’t get away with it, even this far along.

                “You’ve done wonderfully,” he promised, eyeing the statue again.  She really had.  He was just antsy about it all.  Admittedly, Hyoyeon probably was too but right now, she was better about hiding it.  “I just think one of us needs to go check again soon.”

                “You’re not wrong,” she confirmed, pulling away as she turned to look in the direction of Maravayle.  “It will be hard on her just by herself.”  Hyukjae nodded and squeezed her arm gently.  “Just wait a few more days, alright?”

                “Any particular reason?” he wondered aloud, glancing down at the shorter woman beside him.

                Hyoyeon frowned thoughtfully and turned her face to the perpetually blue sky – the clouds never covered their island – and shook her head.  “Just a feeling,” she murmured as she tried to find the moon during the day.  Sometimes they could, but not often.

                Hyukjae took a breath and shrugged.  “Alright then.  I imagine a few more days won’t exactly make much of a difference after all.”

                “At this point, we can only hope that everything works out,” she reminded him, threading her fingers with his and holding tight.

                Worry gnawed at Soonkyu like the constant hunger she usually dealt with.  Jongup seemed to feel it too and no amount of soothing could quiet him for too long.  “Hush baby,” she urged with a furrowed brow, gently rocking the squalling child in her arms.  “I know you miss your sister,” she added, concern tinging her voice.  “I miss Sunyoung too.”

                Pacing around the small confines of her home, she chewed her bottom lip and tried not to think about it too much.  The fever had hit the little girl hard and fast.  Her appetite lessening had been the only warning she’d seen before the sickness was on her, and then Soonkyu just couldn’t keep the fever down.  She’d only been lucky that Sandara was scheduled to come back to check on her the day after Sunyoung got so sick.  Even so, she was still exhausted from not sleeping the past couple nights.

                Almost unceasing crying from her daughter had kept them both up.  And when she was finally resting, Jongup wasn’t because they’d been separated and he was used to sleeping with his sibling beside him.  Now that she wasn’t there, he was still fussy and Soonkyu couldn’t sleep for her own worry.  There was no doubt that with Sunyoung in Sandara’s hands, the child would survive, but the medicine woman had insisted on taking her so that she could have the full array of her supplies on hand to treat her with.  It would also separate the twins so that hopefully Jongup wouldn’t succumb as well.  And she forbid Soonkyu from staying with her because it would only cause trouble in the village.

                “I will bring her to you as soon as she is better, but leave her to me for now,” Sandara had urged calmly, the reassuring tone doing wonders to keep Soonkyu from outright panicking.  “She will be fine.  I promise.”

                It was a promise she was going to hold the woman to, just as soon as she stopped fretting here.  “It’s alright baby.  Momma’s here,” she promised Jongup again, holding him against her as he continued to cry into her ear.  But then he fell eerily silent, and though it was what she wanted, Soonkyu flinched and looked at him quickly to make sure he was alright.  “Jongup?” she gasped, cradling him in her arms with a worried look.  He, however, was looking around with wide eyes and an open mouth.

                Nervous fear started to crawl up Soonkyu’s spine at the sudden change.  It didn’t help that the hair on the back of her neck stood on end and it felt as if a storm was approaching, though she knew that should not have been the case.  A rush of power washed over her skin and she gasped, turning to look at the door with wide eyes while she protectively held Jongup against her.  When the door started to creak open on its own, Soonkyu backed up to the wall, right hand reaching for any kind of weapon she could find.  A worn shucking knife came to hand and she held it out in her trembling palm.

                “Who’s there?” she called out, edging towards the doorway to better see who it might be.  Anyone coming to visit normally knocked.

                “You can come out now,” a strong, masculine voice murmured, the tone beckoning with the edge of a command to it.

                The words weren’t exactly comforting and Soonkyu was more than hesitant to do as they urged.  “Who are you?” she called out, inching her way towards the door.

                “Now, now.  It’s rude to keep a goddess waiting,” a new feminine voice chided.

                “Goddess?” Soonkyu frowned, still unsure.

                “Of course.  Who else would come to this out of the way place in the middle of nowhere?” the same woman responded.

                That didn’t explain why the so called god and goddess were there, but since they hadn’t just come into the home, it also meant they didn’t intend to harm her.  Right?  Still very much confused and worried and distraught, Soonkyu continued to make her way towards the entrance until she could peek outside.  Immediately, her eyes widened with a startled gasp and she dropped her knife in reaction.  The beings before her could only be a god and goddess, though by the look of them, she imagined them to be the Sun gods.

                “Ah,” the Sun god Yunho smiled as his eyes alighted upon the child in her arms.  For a brief moment, she wondered if he was the one to come to her, but then he spoke, “You do have a Dreamer.  It appears that Hyukjae has been busy,” he laughed in amusement as he looked to Sooyoun.

                “Though with all the crying the little one has been doing recently, I wonder at his choice,” Sooyoun commented with a disdainful look at Soonkyu.

                Offended by the remark, Soonkyu opened to retort and defend herself, but then Yunho was looking away and gesturing for her to be quiet.  “Here they come,” he chuckled with a knowing smirk, dark eyes focused in the direction of Lunar Island.

                “Yunho!  Sooyoun!” a new masculine voice called out, making Soonkyu turn to stare in wide-eyed wonder as a pale figure jumped into view.  He was followed by a lovely young woman who seemed just as worried as him.

                “It took you longer than I expected for you to arrive,” the Sun goddess laughed, hiding behind her hand as if she was trying not to be rude.

                Both Moon gods sent her a scathing glare but Hyukjae moved to place himself between Soonkyu and the Sun gods.  “Leave her alone,” he commanded defiantly while Hyoyeon stepped close to shield the human woman protectively.

                “You wound me, Hyukjae,” Yunho pretended to be hurt with a hand over his heart.  “We are only here for the child, after all.”

                “No!” Soonkyu denied immediately, taking a step back as she looked wildly around the circle of gods and goddesses.  Jongup was blissfully silent but it did not help her nerves to be surrounded by such powerful beings.  “I won’t let you take my son!”

                “Of course you will,” Sooyoun smiled dangerously.  “You can thank Hyukjae there for this situation to begin with, but now that he’s created a Dreamer, we’ll be taking him off your hands.”

                With a gasp, Soonkyu looked at the Moon god and whispered, “So you’re the one…”

                “I’m sorry,” he interrupted her with a sad glance over his shoulder.

                “I don’t care if you’re sorry.  I’m not giving him up,” she stated firmly, glaring between the other two gods.

                “Yes.  You.  Are,” Sooyoun corrected, clearing the distance between them as she reached for the infant almost too fast to follow.

                Soonkyu inhaled to scream but Hyukjae reached out and grabbed Sooyoun’s wrist, stalling her in place with a firm grip.  “Don’t,” he whispered, the word a command and a request.  The goddess stalled and deliberately wrapped her fingers around his hand in turn.

                “Hyukjae,” Hyoyeon gasped in surprised horror.  Soonkyu followed her gaze and stared in disbelief.

                “You meddle too much,” Sooyoun scowled, pulling her hand free before the fingers around her wrist became solid stone.

                “So I’ve been told,” he conjured the ghost of a smile before hiding his hand behind his back and turning to face Soonkyu.  “It’s alright,” Hyukjae promised with a tense smile.  “They won’t hurt him.”

                “Of course not,” Yunho confirmed steadily, his head nodding once.

                “But they might hurt you if you resist.  And I don’t want that,” the Moon god reasoned with a glance at Hyoyeon.

                She nodded in reluctant agreement and reached for Jongup with hesitant hands.  “It’s alright,” she promised as well, holding the other woman’s eyes.  “Trust me,” she whispered in a voice that was just shy of begging.  With her back to the other gods, she mouthed, ‘We know,’ so that only the young mother would see.

                Soonkyu’s bottom lip trembled and she looked down at the little boy in her arms.  Heavens knew she didn’t want to give him up, but she knew Hyukjae wasn’t lying.  And Hyoyeon seemed to realize she had a daughter as well, but she wasn’t saying anything about her.  Nor could she fail to recognize that the Moon god had intervened to protect her.  She glanced back up at the Sun gods, seeing nothing but power and the knowledge they would have what they wanted.  Her eyes returned to Hyukjae and then Hyoyeon before finally settling on Jongup again.

                “Momma loves you, baby,” she sniffed, cradling him close as he cooed and grabbed at her hair with uncoordinated hands.  “Momma will always love you,” she cried, reluctantly handing him over to Hyoyeon.  As the goddess carefully took him and stepped away, Soonkyu reached after them but kept herself from following as tears clouded her vision.  “I love you, Jongup!” she whimpered, clasping her hands together tightly against her chest as she watched her baby boy handed over to the Sun god.

                “Thank you,” Yunho smiled with a nod towards Hyoyeon who stepped back to put herself between Hyukjae and Soonkyu, the defensive gesture clear.  “And thank you,” he added with a smile in particular to the young mother.

                “Take care, sister,” Sooyoun waved as she stepped close to Yunho, peering down at the infant in her husband’s arms.  “Try not to get too lonely in the meantime,” she teased with a noteworthy glance at Hyukjae.  The stone was already working its way up his arm and it didn’t seem like it would stop any time soon.

                Hyoyeon said nothing in response, though if her glare could cut something, it would have shredded the Sun goddess.  Yunho gave his wife a mildly reproachful look and then gathered power around them like a cloak.  With a small nod, they disappeared into the air, leaving the trio alone in the snow.

                “He’s gone,” Soonkyu sobbed with her hands over .  Her eyes were reproachful as she looked at the god and goddess.  “Why?” she demanded, hugging her arms tight.

                “We had to,” Hyukjae murmured, grimacing as he stared at his stiffening arm.

                “Shh.  Don’t talk,” Hyoyeon urged, hovering close with tense worry writ on her face.

                “Answer me!” Soonkyu snapped, tired of being ignored and treated like she didn’t just lose her son.

                “Just wait!” the Moon goddess cried back, her voice hurting and desperate.  “Wait for now,” she added again, one hand reaching towards the other woman.  “I will explain, I promise.  But wait for just a little bit,” she sniffed, turning her attention back to Hyukjae.

                The goddess’s face reminded Soonkyu of a woman who was watching someone she loved die.  It silenced her more effectively than words could have.  Was the god of the Moon going to die?  She wanted to apologize but the wounds of her loss were still too fresh so the words stuck in .

                “You’ll both be okay,” Hyukjae smiled for them, making both women turn to him.  “Be patient for a little longer, Soonkyu,” he urged, nodding his pale head towards her.  “And Hyoyeon.  My love,” he whispered, using his good hand cup her cheek tenderly.  “You’ll have to be strong for all of us now.”

                “I know,” she sniffed, one tear escaping her eye as she swallowed loudly.  Grabbing his hand firmly in hers, she looked at Soonkyu.  “I’ll return soon.  Come on, love,” she urged as her focus returned to Hyukjae.  “I’ll get you home at least,” she promised, eyes darting to the spreading stone again.  He nodded gratefully and together, the god and goddess turned away to walk off.

                Soonkyu watched them go, feeling empty and used and betrayed.  Hugging herself tight, she sniffed once, stepped inside to close the door behind her, and collapsed against the barrier to tremble and cry in the safety of her home.  She wasn’t sure how much time passed.  It could have been hours and it could have been days.  But she was cold and achy and stiff when she was jostled from her exhausted rest by a persistent knock on the door.

                Jolting awake, Soonkyu scrambled from the door as if waiting for it to swing open again.  It didn’t.  And when a knocking came once more, she swallowed her fear and stood up to approach it.  She’d already lost her son.  What more could she lose from here?  The door creaked open when she pulled it in and then she realized it was quite dark, though there was enough light by the full moon for her to see a man standing in front of her doorway.  He was tall and broad shouldered with a flawless face, strangely light eyes, and frosty blonde hair.

                “Hello Soonkyu,” he murmured with a warm smile, adjusting his arms so that her attention was drawn to a wrapped bundle cradled there.  “I believe she belongs to you,” he continued, looking down at a sleeping infant.

                “Sunyoung?” Soonkyu gasped in disbelief, stepping out to gather her daughter close as fresh tears sprang to her eyes.  “Is she okay?” she croaked, mesmerized by the perfect, resting face.

                “She’s fine,” the stranger nodded once, laying a comforting hand on Soonkyu’s back.  “And the goddess of the Moon wanted me to tell you that everything really is going to be alright,” he promised her with unwavering conviction.

                At that moment, Soonkyu didn’t question it.  She didn’t even want to think about it.  She was just glad to have her daughter back in her arms.  Her son was gone, and she missed him dearly, but Sunyoung was here, and that had to be enough for now.  “Hello baby,” she smiled, rocking Sunyoung in her arms.  “Momma’s here.”