GALILEE
And, as if fate herself had been watching throughout this whole affair, they all come running to meet their newest sister.
She's caught in the trance of post-birth exhaustion, but warmth floods her, too. The solid presence of Brennen next to her heals any wounds that the birthing process had left, emotionally at least; as he's murmuring his love for her, and for their beautiful daughter, the mother closes her bleary navy eyes and sighs deeply. Her lips find Brennen's neck, and gently preen there, too tired to say much else as he distracts their little Khaeli.
But she shouldn't be surprised when two more show up; Belgaer and Mosrael have been visiting her nearly every day, coming by sometimes together but usually alone to press their muzzles to her swollen belly and keep her company in her isolated little corner of Ischia. Gods, she's grateful for them; her face erupts in a happy smile at the sight of them, and she reaches out to greet them both with a full embrace.
"Thank you both... She looks like us, Mosrael, doesn't she? And she's got wings like you, Belgaer..." Her voice fades away as some conversation ensues, beyond happy to simply exist in the warm comfort that is her family. With some frequency, her eyes flash up into Brennen's, sharing that unspoken understanding of parenthood with an undying love. They both cared for these creatures before them; their hearts beat in tandem, full to the brim with a precious liquid that neither dared ever to spill.
And then, just when she thought she could not get more content, eight more hooves settled down within her cove.
"Aemar! Raelyx!"
What comes next needn't truly be described, for a mother's love is the most exuberant in the presence of children she'd thought gone, or worse. She remembers the day she's left them on the Tundra's border like it was yesterday, and seeing them here now brought many a tear to her sleepy eyes. But eventually she subsides, and allows her eldest sons to greet their siblings in their own unique ways, settling back again to rest against Brennen's broad bay chest.
"We're all here, I can't believe it," She murmurs when silence befalls them. Out of the corner of her eyes, she catches sight of something rustling in the bushes; but her attention span is little, and the excitement of the day is beyond large. Her eyes turn back to her children; her beautiful, beautiful children. "I love you all so much... And this, is Khaeli."
--
Nose to nose with papa, Khaeli wobbled again but caught herself on her own this time. The pegasus smelled like home and she memorized him instantly, her intelligent blue eyes gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. Highly curious, she meandered around his figure, and then around her mother's; her nose pokes at the scent of milk, but before she can properly latch on, more horses are pouring in, and she stumbles to investigate.
They all smell like mama and papa, and at first, she's eager to go explore among them, seeing that nearly all of them have wings like hers. Her little brain can't comprehend just how many of her siblings and parents there actually are, but sooner than later, she realizes that it's a lot. Skittering away from Belgaer (whom she'd been biting incessantly, gnawing on the feathers of his wings perhaps in the search of that scent from earlier), she stood legs-splayed in the middle of the group, eyes wide and mouth popped open.
Squeaking, the filly lifted her useless wings and shook them around, a hopefully smile on her face; it was a joke! Or, at least, a way to say that I belong among you. But when she realized that she hadn't the capabilities to truly express her sense of belonging, she squeaked again and scurried to Galilee's side -- except wait, this wasn't Galilee!
Looking up, her little blue eyes gawked at Mosrael, confusion evident in her expression. The two mares were literally identical. Tears threatened to spill from the baby's eyes, and when everyone laughed at her lovingly, she squeaked again and nearly fell in a heap. But then soothing voices were calling her name, and many noses pushed her in the right direction; before long, the warmth of her mother's pink tongue calmed her frayed nerves, and after a few minutes of distracted nursing, the baby curled up at the hooves of her family and watched for some time before falling into her life's first sleep.