Welcome to Gaia! ::

Delta nodded slowly, staring into his reflection again. He sighed, his wing slicing across the water and distorting the image as he got to his feet and walked away from the water's edge. He turned his attention to the greenery around him, his gaze briefly going to the hill by the lake.

Beta smiled. "Hmm... I guess so." She looked in the direction that the children had gone in. "I hope he finds his answers." Haides raised an eyebrow. "Answers to what, exactly?" Beta blinked and smiled at him. "His questions, silly. Questions are heavy, you know? It's hard to be happy if they're always weighing you down."

Delta blinked out of his thoughts and nodded. "... Sure." It was better than letting his negative thoughts creep up on him again. And it wasn't often that he got to explore a little without Iota or Plouton trying to race or chase him.

Beta blinked, innocently tilting her head to the side. "I am?" She tilted her head to the other side and added, "I'm cryptic?" When Haides let out a snort, the mare made a face at him.

Delta nodded, following his cousin up to the top of the hill. Once they reached their destination, he stared at the view in front of them. There was so much... space. And a gentle breeze was taking the edge off of the heat... His gaze shifted to the tree rooted in the hilltop, trotting over to it and laying down in its shade. The weather was too perfect... it was making him sleepy.

"I gave a direct answer, didn't I?" Beta replied, still looking puzzled.

Delta blinked, looking up at the splotches of red hidden within the green leaves. "Apples..." He liked apples; they were pretty high on his list of favorite foods. He debated trying to kick the tree to get them down, but decided just jumping and grabbing some from a low branch would probably be easier. He hauled himself back to his feet, backing up a bit before running and jumping up and latching his teeth onto a branch. It shook, dropping a few of its precious cargo onto the grass. He spread his wings and released the branch, landing gently on the ground by the apples. Noticing one rolling away, he chased it halfway down the hill before he caught it. Picking it up between his jaws, he trotted back to the top and laid down in the shade again.

"Well, I'm not gonna tell you them. That would be rude!" Beta informed her best friend. "They're personal questions." Which meant Delta would have to find the answers himself.

Delta nodded and quietly ate his apple before closing his eyes and resting his head on the grass. It was such nice weather... He was starting to nod off.

Beta rolled her eyes. "Even if they weren't, it would've been rude." Haides just smiled and rolled his own eyes before closing them.

Beta nodded, beaming. "Mm-hmm!" She got to her feet, walking with her two best friends with a bounce in her step.

"Hmm... Well, it has to be somewhere close," Beta concluded. "Otherwise, Delta would've come back." She turned in the direction that she'd seen the children go in. "They went that way, so..."

Haides didn't reply; he simply started walking in the direction Beta had indicated. He kept walking, his feet automatically drawing him to the lake where he and Beta had first met Jaromila. And he thought he saw someone on the hill... was it the kids?