First Demonic Dragon

Hajun, Asmodeus, Apophis, Karliah, and Bekka all fainted instantly once they had a moment to process.

Everyone else was supremely ecstatic over the news. The walls shook with the sound of their combined zeal.

Thea was bomb rushed.

The first to knock her to the ground was her younger sister, Nubia.

She was immediately followed by Lisa, and then Yara & Imani, and then the dog pile just kept on building…

Even Aubrey couldn't escape it.

A few individuals had to pause to give certain monologues before jumping on top of them.

Bashenga: "I was actually the first to know."

Straga: "Keeping the secret was fucking killing me, but I did it this time!"

Lisa: "Eris and I have known since yesterday, but we also felt like we were going to explode!"

Nyx: "I'm the one who helped get them pregnant!"

Through all of this, Abaddon was locked in a frozen state.

He felt a manicured nail press into his cheek and his eyes regained clarity.

"I hope this slack jawed look doesn't come from displeasure…"

Squatting in front of Abaddon was a beautiful and clearly anxious Jasmine.

"Because we were hoping that you'd be at least a little more… excited?" She laughed nervously.

Abaddon instantly felt terrible.

"Forgive me… I did not mean to ruin your moment with my shock. Of course, I am happy for you both."

"Buttt…?" Jasmine waited.

Abaddon smirked as he looked at the dogpile containing his daughter somewhere underneath.

"After 9000 years you would think that she would run out of ways to remind me that she is an adult. And yet, she still continues to blindside me… Or maybe I'm just a demented old dragon who forgets too easily." He laughed bitterly.

Jasmine showed a small smile as she touched his hand.

"Old dragon or not… I hope that you will be there for us and give us guidance if we are lacking. We… haven't exactly done this before and you pop out more kids than a theme park."

Abaddon laughed and hugged the young woman tightly.

"What a strange way to ask me for help! Alright then, a bit of advice from this old dragon. Getting them sleep trained is the hardest part when they're young. No matter how hard they cry, you have to let them get it out."

Jasmine reeled. "T-That sounds like abuse.."

"I promise, it is for everyone's benefit. You want to sleep through the night, don't you?"

"W-Well yea, but…"

"There can be no buts, Jazzie. You have to be strong." Abaddon said seriously. "You'll have to remember to make time for yourselves now, especially with two children around the same age."

Jasmine seemed like she was actually taking her time to digest this all-important lesson. "How long did it take you to grasp this lesson?"

Abaddon's eyes became blank bits of glass and he spoke like a grizzled veteran of war. "Too long, Jazzie… Far too long."

He had visions of a young Mira still demanding to sleep in the bed with them at six years old and following them around all day long.

It would sometimes be days before he and the girls could get some… 'private' time.

"Just… take my word for it, alright kid?" He shook his head exhaustedly.

Jasmine chuckled and shook her head.

"I will do that. I hope that isn't the last nugget of wisdom, old man."

Abaddon stared at Jazzie unconsciously.

Two timelines worth of memories with her had been some of his most cherished. Though he was not her birth father, she and her sister had always felt like his daughters too.

"I am truly happy for you and my daughter, Jazzie. I'm sure you will be a greater parent than me or Ayaana combined."

Jasmine is quite the famously fiery individual.

She's bold, confident, beautiful, and has quite the tough exterior.

Abaddon had never seen her without a grandiose smile or a sarcastic comment ready to pull out of her back pocket at a moment's notice.

But today was different.

Her face crinkled. Her eyes became misty.

She held onto him for dear life. He felt her crying silently with her head buried in his neck. Jasmine didn't want anyone to see her like this.

"Thank you…" She whispered quietly.

Abaddon squeezed her back. He shed a tear alongside her.

"Hey!"

Thea struggled to crawl out from underneath the pile of bodies and make it to her father.

"Where's all this affection for your actual first born, huh?"

Abaddon snickered as he whipped his eye. "Feeling jealous? How unbecoming of a new mother."

He pulled Thea free and hugged her just as hard as he did Jasmine.

But before he could say anything, he felt something get placed on his head.

"Thea..?"

"Wasn't me." She shrugged innocently.

Abaddon looked behind his back and found Gaia behind him- giving him a thumbs up gesture.

He touched his head and found a black hat with some… questionable writing.

Grand-Zaddy.

"…Hilarious."

"I thought so too."

Gaia skipped away, bestowing fitting family paraphernalia on any dragon she came across.

-

Ever since earlier, Courtney hadn't been able to spend nearly as much of her time alone like she normally would.

She paused from reading comics and looked at the floor of her bedroom.

There, Abaddon and Thrudd were lying with the twins, Gabbrielle, and Mira.

Even Odessa was here- napping on the chest of their father.

"I don't mean to be a Debbie downer here, but why are you guys in my room?"

The girls looked up from whatever they were doing and stared at their father- the reason they were all assembled here.

"Call me a bit sentimental, but I just wanted to spend some time with my babies while they are still babies." He shrugged.

"I am 8,000?" Thrudd raised her hand.

"I said what I said."

Abaddon sat up without waking the infant on his chest.

"Even I can't get back time for myself once I lose it. So I wanted to spend it with you girls now while I can."

"Aww. That's very sweet, dad." Nubia kissed his cheek.

"You don't have to be so dark about it though." Yemaja said. "It's not like we're going anywhere."

"I know you aren't, you little star fish. There isn't a man or woman in the multiverse desperate enough to take you as a bride."

"And what is THAT supposed to mean, you old fart?!"

"You're mean. A little shallow too. You also are not terribly-"

"D-Dad..!" Yemaja pouted.

Abaddon found her reaction adorable. Like a cat that had been unjustly forced to take a bath.

"Just a meaningless jest, my dear daughter. I'm sure you will find your own brand of happiness soon enough."

Yemaja didn't look all that moved by his attempt at apology and rolled over stubbornly instead.

"I'm already happy… happy as fuck as a matter of fact." She grumbled.

Her twin Yemaya gave her a few consolatory pats on her back.

Since she could see her family wasn't leaving, Courtney decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

She closed her comic and belly flopped on top of Thrudd (Of course, causing her no pain).

"As long as you're here, I've been meaning to ask you for some advice. What's a good way to make someone attracted to you?"

The room became deadly quiet.

"W-What? I thought you said I could talk to you about this stuff." Courtney shrank. .

"You can, I just… didn't think that you ever would." Abaddon blinked away his surprise.

Other than Straga, none of his children ever asked him for romantic advice.

"Actually… I also am curious about that." Thrudd seemed like she was going to die of embarrassment.

Two in one day? Now, Abaddon was really about to start believing in miracles.

"Well, you.."

Abaddon's words trailed off as he stared out the window.

The sky became noticeably darker for half a second- as did Abaddon's face.

"And the day was going so nice, too… Fuck." Abaddon rolled his eyes.

Courtney poked her father in the stomach. "Wanna share what's going on for those of us without super-god-dragon sense?"

Abaddon cracked a small smile and poked her back. "Just a small annoyance I'm more than content to let your mother deal with."

"Ooh, oohh! Is this your way of saying you're using us to hide from work again?" Mira asked.

"You're damn right it is, Little Moon."

"Knew it!"

-

A few hundred miles away, a rather… frigid reception was underway.

A tall man dyed in black was standing on the walkway to Abaddon's floating castle.

In the air, an exact 1,000 Nevi'im surrounded the strange man- waiting to blow him into oblivion at the first flinch.

"Such an unwelcome greeting…." He sighed and a lit cigarette appeared in his mouth.

"It befits an unwelcome visitor."

The man's own shadow turned against him and a figure formed from the darkness.

Audrina plucked the cigarette out of the man's mouth and tossed it over her shoulder.

"Little brother. I do so wonder why you've chosen to show up here today."