Kits and Space Stations: Chiya and Ketvia's Story

They had two: two wonderful, beautiful little boys. Out of twenty-three-- a stunning, amazing, staggering number, and all of them loved and lovely-- two wonderful, beautiful kits had chosen to come live with them: Vir, pristine white and rust-red, under the insides from his egg anyway; and Regius, striking red and white, even through the remains of egg-insides. One sweet and striving-- but always falling on his face, so far, whether physically or metaphorically-- and the other amused and remarkably adult, for only having hatched a mere two hours or so before.

The ship itself, the Abstract Destiny, provided the whole mass of kits their first breakfast, and Regius and Vir were both stuffed on sandwiches. Thankfully, no one had expected the kits to eat raw meat... a wide variety of foods had been provided, from sandwiches to cooked steaks, to little bits of sliced cheese and meat, and even a couple plates of cookies. Those had gone fast! Vir had managed to get a couple-- his siblings actually got out of his way when they saw him coming, and he still managed to trip over one of them, the poor thing-- and Regius made sure he had one, himself, of course. For children, they shared well, and no one went without.

Cacopheny and his friends-- his bond Sentio, Akija and her bond Chario, and their full-grown daemon bond Kenjista-- had come to the hatching, invited and transported specially for the occasion, since Chiya felt almost like Cacopheny was a child of her own, as well. They'd arrived only just the morning before, staying with Aedelian's family, and looked down on the hatching from the stands. They'd given their congratulations first, even before Schroeder himself, but left the two mothers to look after their two children quickly afterwards. Chiya guessed poor Cacopheny felt uncomfortable in the crowd of strangers, and if she had guessed right, Akija's frequent and furtive glances at Devika were her reason to flee. No matter: back at Aedelian and Vyly's, they would speak again, in a more comfortable environment for all of them.

Several of their kits had come up to them during the ceremony, and after, for farewells, and for promises to keep in touch-- or to beg for promises to keep in touch. Red Denique, bonded to a dragon-modified human who called herself Dracothrope and who Chiya found quite charming, and much littler Fidelan, going home with none other than Aedelian's estranged daughter Lha, had been among the first. Through Doctor Schroeder, and the file of contact information he'd so kindly collected for her, she would be able to find this "Ranch of Doom"-- or, as Denique called it, Doooooom-- and take a somewhat reluctant Ketvia and quite content children along, whenever they wanted to. Because Denique wanted her to-- and so did many of the others. It touched Chiya's heart that so many cared to see her again. Doctor Schroeder might have had information to contact all of the bonders, on her request with her own desires to keep in touch, but to have them come up to her and say they wanted to see her and Ketvia again... it made her smile through a sheen of tears.

Ketvia wasn't so emotional about it all, at least on the surface. She was gruffly affectionate with their two boys, bestowed careful hugs, ready hair-ruffles, and gentle nuzzles on both them and those who came to say their goodbyes and "we'll miss you"s and "stay in touch with us"s, but she didn't seem sad or unhappy. Chiya knew she had to be, however: Callidei hadn't spoken one word to them the whole hatching, though she'd cheerfully wandered around with her siblings. She'd gone so far as to avoid them, both of them, not just the one who she didn't understand could suddenly become so mean, because they sat together. In the two weeks since Ketvia finally bestirred herself out of bed, she'd gotten herself clean and untangled, and no longer looked so thin, but some of the joy seemed to have gone out of her, because she and Callidei had not spoken again since little Calli told her she hated her. Chiya was saddened by it all, for both their sakes. It had hurt Ketvia, and was still hurting Ketvia-- and had hurt Callide, and was still hurting Callidei-- but both were too stubborn to let on....

At least her fear that Ketvia would somehow have less love for whatever hatchlings came home with them seemed, at the moment, unfounded. There seemed to be enough love to go around, even tempered with sadness....

"So where are we going, Mother?" Regius asked, leaning against Ketvia's shaggy leg. "Are we staying here for a while, or going home to where you're from?"

"I wanna see Sanctuary!" Vir exclaimed, sitting on Chiya's forepaw and beaming-- head turned so he looked upside down-- up at her. She'd told them stories of the great Avengaean cities, and all the kits knew that's where she and Ketvia would be taking them: Sanctuary, the dragonic capitol of Novinitu.

"After you get yourselves a bath," Chiya smiled down at them. "We might stay another day or two, in the city outside, with my friends... but you'll see our home soon, I promise."

A female voice-- an unexpected voice-- interrupted quietly. "Mommy?"

Everyone-- Chiya, Ketvia, Regius, and Vir-- turned to look at little Callidei, Battleworn Claw huddled at her hip and glaring openly up at Ketvia. Callidei looked only at Chiya. "You're leaving, now, aren't you, Mommy?"

Chiya crouched down from her sitting position to put her nose on level with her daughter's, though she could feel Ketvia's tension and sense her eyes on the kit. "Aedelian is taking us in tonight, now that the hatching's over, and we'll be going back to Avengaea tomorrow or the next day. We'll be coming back to visit, though, often... would you like that?"

There was a moment's silence, and Callidei's eyes slipped sideways, almost but not quite looking at her other mother. She shrugged her wings. "I guess." She didn't say anything more, but mutely sat back on her haunches and held out her little arms to Chiya, which was its own answer. She put her muzzle into those arms, accepting the hug before picking her little girl, her first little girl, up against her cheek in the best hug she could give her while dragon-formed. Claw growled-- but very softly, and did nothing else, for Ketvia was, after all, right there-- and Callidei nuzzled up against her fur. "I'll miss you," she whispered, with a hint of childlike anger and very real hurt in her voice. Chiya knew what she meant.

"You'll miss Ketvia, too...."

"I will not!"

It was a lie, and they both knew it, but Chiya set her daughter down with a sigh all the same. She started to pace back to her bond, without another glance at her other mother. Ketvia's eyes followed her, though her muzzle refused to move, and her tail twitched involuntarily. Chiya watched her for a few seconds, sad, before she tried touching minds.

::Ketvia--::

A soft growl silenced the sent thought... but after a second's pained silence, Ketvia gave Regius's hair a ruffle with a finger, stood slowly enough so that he could collect himself rather than fall over when she removed his support, and started after the retreating pair. "Calli, wait...."

And, miraculously, Callidei waited, and didn't move away when Ketvia stopped beside her, crouched down, and drew her into a hug against her chest, murmuring too softly for anyone besides Callidei and Claw to hear.

Chiya smiled and settled down with her two boys, Vir slumping down against one forepaw and Regius sitting himself primly beside her other.

"Is Ketvia going to be okay?" Vir asked, hooking a hand-like paw around her littlest finger. "I know Calli was mad at her...."

"I think she's going to be just fine," Chiya sighed happily, watching her friend and their daughter making up after all this time. "Just fine...."