Welcome to Gaia! ::

Niko walked slowly up the pathway to her home, her footsteps nearly silent amidst the chirping of the birds and buzzing of the insects. It's been so long... She thought to herself, tugging her violet blindfold down, letting it rest around her neck. Are any of them mad at me...? I wouldn't blame them, but I had to go back, I had to help him...! She shook her head, mulling over the reason she left and what had happened when she did. She had some gotten a message from one of the older goddesses back at Oasis, her homeworld, who told her that her old love, Raphael, was dying. Raphael needed her, and Niko had to go see him before he breahted his last, she loved him so much. So she left, the Oasis goddess providing a temporary way to return to Oasis, where she did what she had to do, meeting up with Raphael. What she wasn't aware of, though, was what had happened after she met up with her love again before he died...((She's pregnant. She doesn't know though xd ))

She shook her head again, quietly opening the front door and peering around, looking for any of her childrens' or friends' heat signatures, or just any blob of living heat. She slid her whole, slim and slender body in through the door frame, only to be tackled a second later by a small red panda. "Ha ha, Red, down, down!" She said, laughing.

Aqua was sitting in the play room, playing with some blocks, when Red, who had been snoozing next to her, suddenly shot her head up, ears pricked forward, before taking off into the main hall. Aqua gace the panda's retreating tail a questioning look, but when she heard a familiar laugh she understood, and clambered up from the carpeted floor. "MOM!" She shrieked, also dashing into the front hall and tackling her mother in a tight, ribcrushing hug.

The shriek of Aqua echoed around the house, immediately piquing(sp?) the interest of most of the other kids that were close enough to hear it(That being pretty much all of them, 'cept Sere, whose in her room listening to music), resulting in Niko being in the center of an enourmas family hug.

"Goddess, leggggooooo! I needa breath at some point!" She said through happy laughter. She gave all of them hugs as Shaia, Ginny, and Feinne stood in the door way, smiling or looking neutral according to their personality. Finally, everyone started asking questions, and she held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "N-no, I don't think any of y'all'll understand, but I had to go back, back, umm, to, to Oasis..." She said nervously, fidgiting.

The three "sitters" all nodded, knowing what she had went back to do, since she had told them before leaving.(No one knows she's pregnant xD) They all either patted Niko on the back, hugged her, or nodded, again according to their temperments.

Zuko smiled at his mother, though after he hugged her, he took a moment to study her face. She looks sad... What happened when she left? I know something important did, since she left us to begin with... But she looks worn out, tired, and older then before, though not by too much... He mulled over this, before smiling again with the rest of the family. After a few more minutes, Niko disappeared up the stairs, and he looked after her with another frown, before shaking his head. Suddenly there was a tug on his shirt.

Sophia had tugged on Zuko, and was peering up at him with wide, golden eyes. "Is mum okay? Where'd she go now?" The younger child asked.

He smiled, kneeling down to be eye to eye with his little sister. "I think she just went to talk to Sere. Y'know how she's taken up listening to music at every oppurtunity, I don't think she heard Aqua shriek. So she must have the volume up pretty darn loud!" He finished with a laugh, lifting Sophia up and swinging her onto his back. "Now, since mom's home, whaddy'all say we cook up a big dinner to welcome her back?" He asked all the little people milling about him and the three adults still present.

Shaia nodded with a smile. "Yes, that's a great idea. Niko's undoubtably(sp?) tired from her journey, so let's give her a break. C'mon then!" She said, scooping up Lucas in her arms and Tuck on her back as everyone followed her into the kitchen...