In Labor Quotes

“Between the sisters' joined hands, the pressure of their pulses mingled in steady throbs. Daisy was not certain if she was giving comfort to her sister or receiving it. Lillian's time was here, and Daisy was afraid for her, of the pain and possible complications, and the fact that life would never be the same afterward.
She glanced at Evie, who flashed her a smile, and Annabelle, whose face was reassuringly calm. They would help each other through all the challenges and joys and fears of their lives, Daisy thought, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with love for all of them. "I will never live away from you," she said. "I want the four of us to be together always. I could never bear to lose any of you."
She felt Annabelle's slippered toe nudge her leg affectionately. "Daisy... you can never lose a true friend.”
― Lisa Kleypas, Scandal in Spring

“Qíllíns are considered the Chinese equivalent of unicorns, though they don’t look like unicorns at all, not really. For one, they usually have two antlers instead of one horn, and their heads are dragon-esque with long thick beards and manes. In fact, the only thing that qílíns and unicorns have in common is that they are both four-legged and have hooves.
I don't know why a qílín has been brought to Seamere. As far as I can recall, the zoo’s qílín is rainbow-colored, so this one must be from a private trader. There are collectors that import mythical beasts from all over the globe, bartering and negotiating and spending way too much on those that are strange and rare.
This qílín is luminescent, her coat gold-and-red ombré, the golden scales darkening to a deep red at each of her four hooved feet. And she’s clearly in labor. Her golden tail is flicking, and every few minutes her entire abdomen contracts, her jewel-like eyes rolling.
Dystocia. She’s having difficulty giving birth.”
― Keshe Chow, Strange Familiars