Leaving Ebony was a struggle Gaia did not enjoy in the least, she knew Ebony she knew around her den and she didn't have to worry about running into everything. Now, in Olympus for the first time, the girl was lost once again. She hadn't even left the den yet she was so upset about the move, she didn't wish to relearn her surroundings she just wanted to go back home to ebony. No matter how many times she was told Olympus was home she couldn't believe it. She was born into the eastern lands, why did her mother have to come back here? Wasn't she happy living with Raisa and their half siblings? Questions and angst would flood through the girls mind as she lay pitiful at the entrance to the den. So listless her ears would not even swivel to take in the wondrous sounds as they usually did. She had grown even more quiet since the return, her confidence seemingly shattered as she continued to struggle with her disability.?






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Virgil had finally returned, her children at her side. What a shame it had been that their birth had occurred in Ebony. They had begun their life among a family that was not theirs, and now they knew not who their true family was. The Olympians had not been able to travel to the Eastern pack, for they were needed to watch the borders and ensure the continuation of the pack in Virgil's absence. Hopefully now things would return to the norm and the family would thrive again. The Centurion wasted little time in making her way to the matriarch's den. She wished to greet her and the children she had brought into this world only a short time ago. The first Olympian she happened upon would be one of those children, which brought a smile to Natalya's maw. She felt nothing but excitement for the moment as she approached the pup and lowered herself to her belly before it. "Hello, little one," she greeted with a slight coo in her voice. "Welcome home."

Gaia's pouting would continue, she did not know how to voice her displeasure. She had followed her mother's orders with out verbal question but inside all she wished to do was be back in the familiar Ebony den. Olympus smelled funny, and again she could not get around with out help. She hadn't even tried to leave, even though her siblings offered help to her. She was going to be stubborn and do her best to either away in the den. To show her mother the displeasure she had of being brought "home". Everything was turned upside down, she knew no one and nothing around her. It really was like starting over completely.?

Her ashen ears would take in the sound of approaching footsteps, the gait was not one she recognized. Oh great another stranger. she would sigh and look away from the direction the steps came from. She had no interest in meeting anyone but ebony members. She would hear as the being lay before her, a too sweet greeting on her lips. She didn't want to acknowledge the presence, but oh how much she wanted to correct her. "This is not my home." she would state as her features were still away from the looming creature. Maybe once she knew Gaia didn't belong here she would be able to take her back to Ebony.?

One corner of her lips twitched slightly into half a frown as the young girl replied, her distaste at the move clearer than day in her voice. Natalya understood the sentiment all too well. Thought she had gotten along spectacularly with Helios from the day her marriage was arranged, it had taken her quite some time to become truly accepting of having her life uprooted. "I didn't think I was my home at first either," she would inform the girl with a small chuckle. "I am sorry that you weren't able to get to know us sooner, and I am even sorrier that you had to suffer such a huge change so early on. You may not believe it now, but Olympus is where you belong. Gods belong among gods, my dear." Had Virgil been Natalya's daughter, she would have scolded her for her many irrational decisions over the last few seasons, but it was not her place. That was for her mother and father to do, and unfortunately they were nowhere to be found. The young matriarch was left without their guidance. Fortunately, Virgil had succeeded in enough to redeem herself of her mistakes, but she was young and there were almost certainly more to come. So much thought on the matter was unnecessary, however. She needed to focus on helping the children adjust to their new surroundings and feel comfortable with their true family. "You will see your friends in Ebony soon enough, I promise you that. But first I would like to get to know you, little princess. I am your Great Aunt Natalya, what is your name?"

Though Gaia certainly did not want to listen the older she wolf's words would be found within her dark grey ears. Though it was odd to think she would have anything in common with this stranger the words she announced would bring forth a spark of curiosity within the young Olympus heir. She would find herself swiveling her head back to the Olympian, suddenly perplexed by her words. She would apologize, it was almost foreign to her. She had not voiced her displeasure to her mother but this woman instead. She would slowly gain her full attention as the woman would seemingly read her mind. It was like Gaia might have been reliving whatever this woman had gone through, still her great aunt certainly didn't have to go through the trials blind.?

She would sigh heavily at her words, knowing fully now that she agreed with her mother. There couldn't be anyway way that she would feel like she belonged here. It was too different, too foreign for her to ever get used to. She didn't even want to belong here. Reluctantly she would continue to listen to the words given her, a promise of seeing those of ebony again soon. She couldn't help but hope that meant going back to Ebony. She had that to look forward to, finally feeling comfortable again. "I am Gaia." she didn't want to voice again her displeasure, knowing full well what she would be told. Still feeling anger at being uprooted she would turn away once more, hoping the woman just left her alone.?

"Ah, Gaia, our future queen," she said while raising her head to perform a mock bow. Gaia was Virgil's firstborn, she remembered. The daughter named for their creator. Natalya was sure the girl was destined for something great, but her negative attitude would get her nowhere. She needed to feel happy and comfortable with her family instead of miserable, and the Centurion needed to do everything in her power to help with that. Luckily, Natalya was a mother already and knew all it took was a little patience and understanding to get children to open up to them. She would do her best to show the pup that she could relate to her and make her feel even a little bit happier to be home. "Why don't I tell you about when I joined our family? I was born a member of the Hesperides family and joined Olympus by marrying your Great Uncle, Helios. It was very hard to leave my family behind and I didn't like it at all. It took me a very long time to be happy without Helios at my side. Even now sometimes I miss my family, but I know I'm in the right place." She hoped that maybe knowing she had struggled to be happy in Olympus would help the girl even the slightest bit. Now it was time to put the ball in her court. "Will you tell me something I don't know about you?"

The words the woman would tell her would cause the girl's ashen ears to fall to her skull. Future queen. How could she even think about such things at her age, let alone the immense challenge of completing it blind. Of course she couldn't see Natalya's bow, but would hear her slight shift. She would sigh, but keep her attention on the woman who would go on to tell her of her own appearance within Olympus. The story would not give her much hope for happiness. It had taken Natalya so long, how could she ever hope to gain her confidence again? Plus she had to deal with everything with out her sight. Her disability would cross her mind so often, especially now while she was completely stuck within her quarters. A quiet whimper would fall from her lips as she felt little years start to fall from her eyes. A little sniffle given as her aunt finished, asking her of something. "I.. I dunno. I guess.. I don't feel like I should be future queen... Since ya know." she would look back to Natalya, her sightless eyes in full view I the she wolf. Not knowing Nat could never be able to tell from visual stimuli.?

The defiance that had previously been in the little princess's voice before seemed to quickly shift to something like sadness. Natalya cocked her head slightly to the side as she listened to the girl answer, her words making little sense. "I'm sorry... I'm not sure what you mean." Her voice was gentle, but her confusion was evident in it. "I can't see- well, that's probably not the best way to say this," she corrected with a subtle chuckle, finding the word a bit ironic and preferring not to use it at all. It simply made no sense for a blind woman to speak about seeing or not seeing anything. "I can't think of any reason you would not make a great queen. Your namesake alone destines you for greatness."

Somehow she was able to completely confuse the adult that sat with her, the confusion she had in her tone of voice would stump Gaia completely. Natalya would state she could not see how she could not be perfectly fit to rule the pack. She couldn't have been very attentive if she'd not noticed the cloudy sightlessness of her eyes. "What do you mean you can't see? Look at my eyes, it's obvious I can't see." grumpily she would drop her head upon folded paws. The unsettling feeling that now held her would drown out the curiosity she had about her namesake. She knew no other wolf with her name, she had never head anyone speak her name when they were not calling for her. "How can I be a queen if I can't even see my home?" her voice would change to despair, surely andromeda would be a much better queen than she. Her sister was so much better at everything when compared to Gaia's sightless clumsiness. How could her aunt understand this?

Eyebrows raised as the reason for the girl's uneasiness became abundantly clear. The sable woman now realized that she had more in common with the heir before her than she ever could have guessed on her own. She let a brief silence fall between them before she smiled and let out a light laugh. "Is that what you are worried about, little one? If I did not understand your feelings I might be insulted." She drew slightly nearer, almost nose to nose, to Gaia, before whispering, "I am blind as well," and drawing back to her original position. "You are young, Gaia. You will adapt to using your other senses and you will grow to see the good in our difference. We have the wonderful benefit of judging others not on how they look, but how they act and sound. We never have to lay eyes on the hardships of the world. This is not to say that life will not have its challenges, but that you will overcome them and find happiness with yourself. I can help you, if you would like?"

Gaia felt unease as a silence fell between her and the woman, was she taking a closer look at her cloudy eyes? She would sit silently, only being able to wait for the coming reaction. She would have never expected the resulting reaction. She would just be confused at her first statement, but then she felt breath upon her nose. Natalya's nose was surely almost touching her own, then the woman whispered. Gaia's jaw would involuntarily drop, a breath of a gasp falling from them. Her aunt would continue, her speech hitting her deeper than any earlier words could. She felt a connection to the woman she could have never felt with any other wolf. The end of her words would offer help, Gaia didn't know if she could refuse. The young girl would whimper, the strong facade put up breaking down. Tears would drip from her glossy eyes, "Yes, I want your help."

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