Welcome to Gaia! ::

Beta's expression brightened as she replied. "Of course you are. You gave us a home and family." She nuzzled her son, and softly added, "You were always there when I needed you... That's something my birth mother never did."

Haides smiled. "Likewise." His gaze when to Beta once more. "I hope Cairbre can give her that same happiness." She deserved someone special--much better than this Reth character whose children she bore.

Beta lifted her head and smiled brightly. "That sounds like a promise, Mama. I'll be holding you to it." She blinked when Delta started stirring. "Eku?" She watched her son scuttle across the grass, settling on her other side so that he was nestled between his mother and Serenity. Beta giggled. "Looks like Delta agrees. Eku, can you say 'grandma'?"

"... Grr.. pah." Delta heard his mother giggling above him. "No, not grandpa. Gr-an-du-ma." Ah. He messed up. "Grr...mah." Another giggle. "You're getting closer." This time he got a nuzzle too. He nuzzled the mare back, instinctively letting out a happy squeak.

"... If 'creep' isn't an understatement, I don't know what is." Haides watched Beta and his nephew, keeping a firm hand on his anger. "What Reth did to her was unforgivable. ... However, if anyone settles things with him, it will be Beta herself." He glanced down at Jaromila. "Unless she states otherwise, I have no intention of going after this Reth character." The vengeful stallion wasn't worth endangering Haides's bond with Beta. "I can't even say that I wish it didn't happen... maybe because I can see scenarios ending in a much worse situation. And..." He trailed off, watching Beta again. "She loves them. I can't bring myself to wish that they weren't born, even if their father caused Beta so much pain." Haides smiled at his mate again. "Regardless, she's safe and sound here. She'll be alright."

Delta squeaked in surprise when a second head nuzzled him. He instinctively shied away, but then timidly reached out to nudge the foreign muzzle. His mother giggled above him. "It's just your grandma, Eku. It's Mama's mama." Mother's mother. That's what a grandmother was? "Mah." Silence. "Mah-mah." More silence. "... Maaaah-mah." His mom didn't say anything, but he got a nuzzle. That was good. "Mah-mah?" A giggle. "It's ok, Eku. I'm just really happy." It was a satisfactory answer. Delta Ekundayo huffed and shifted so he was more comfortable between his mother and grandmother.

Beta was beaming at her mother, eyes sparkling with both joy and unshed tears. Being called that, especially by such a timid foal like Delta, made her so... unbelievably happy.

Haides nodded. "At the very least, I don't think either of our mothers will go looking for him. If he comes here, I could see your mother giving him a piece of her mind." And possibly her hooves too. "The same is true for Uncle Rogan and Uncle Varteres; after what happened to Lady Dea, I don't think they'll be wandering very far from her." At the mention of his sister's disappearance, he frowned. He nodded absently, glancing towards where their children had gone. "Mila, if it's alright with you... when the kids are grown, I want to go look for her." He was reluctant to leave his lovely mate, but his sister's unexplained absence nagged at his conscience. If something happened to her...

Delta squeaked, shifting shyly before nuzzling Serenity back. "Gah-mah." Then he pressed his blanket-covered head against Beta's leg. "Mah-mah."

Haides smiled. "Of course she is. She's our mother. She acted the same way when Beta vanished." Although Beta's absence was different; she spent more and more time away until she vanished, and then showed up with Cairbre and had her foals. Rosangela... she'd just disappeared. "I wouldn't be surprised if she acted the same when I left."

"Worrying is what mothers do best, I hear." Itzal still had his eyes closed, but his voice was clear enough.

Delta squirmed happily at the words directed to him, then turned and nipped at Beta's leg when he was no longer being addressed.

Beta smiled gratefully at her mother, then giggled at the nipping. "Ok, ok. You've got my attention, Eku." His response was a whine and a headbutt to the leg, which nearly threw her off-balance. She blinked, then smiled as she lowered herself to the ground next to her son. "I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around, silly boy..." She nuzzled the shy little foal, then lightly rested her neck across the foal's back in a sort of hug. With how sensitive Delta was to Beta's well-being, she had to assume Jaromila was right and her son had inherited at least part of her ability. Either that, or he could feel the shaking in her leg. Her pregnancy and the birth of her foals had done a number on her health--and she was still in the process of recovering.

Haides smiled slightly. "I don't know how you handle having so many minds linked to yours." Especially considering both of their mothers were in that group of minds. As for how their mothers coped with their worry... Itzal got to the reply before he did. "I'd assume they cope in the same way Beta is coping with birthing four fatherless children. I imagine that the support of familial bonds does not flow in a single direction." Haides blinked slowly. "How did...?" "How did I know your adopted sister's name and that the father of her children is nowhere to be found? Familial bonds aren't the only two-way connection."

Delta huffed. "Muh Mah-mah," he grumbled. Beta giggled. "Uh-huh, and she's my Mama." She giggled again as she looked up at Serenity. "Apparently he thinks the kids take care of the parents instead of the other way 'round."

"... No. That bond is... rusty? I can sense emotions and communicate telepathically with Haides, but that's about it. I got that information from Beta herself. The exchange initiated by her that shocked my system gave me access to her recent thoughts in addition to allowing her remove my... emotional baggage." Haides frowned. "I thought Beta's ability was strictly emotional." "That's assuming that the person she connects to doesn't have experience with Bonds and knows how to dig a little deeper when the gate's opened."

Beta blinked and looked up at her mother. Txopu. Serenity's first mate. She smiled and shook her head. "I don't think so. You still would've had Kxani and Keanay and Kavuk and Ni'awtu and Ioang and Tirea," she replied. "And Uncle Rogan and Uncle Varteres. Oh! And Dea!" Beta smiled brightly. "It wasn't just us. We were just the first." Well, besides Thramachat.

"Well, she can't transfer her personal information. ...I, however, can extract it." Haides frowned. "And why did you?" Itzal sighed. "I was disoriented. My mind was scrambling to get a foothold wherever it could--and apparently Beta's recent thoughts was one of them."