"Oh wow, Kyra! You seem to float just fine with that pair of floaties you got. I have to say I'm a little jealous, my dear...Gah! Care to share some with the rest of us, because shortie over here definitely isn't as light as he looks."
...
A little girl ran around a meadow in awe as wildflowers blossomed in the spring sun. The wind gently blew the flowers as stray petals delicately swirled around the air causing the girl to smile widely with bright scarlet eyes.
Off in the distance a pair sat on a hill overlooking the meadow that rested in the valley watching the little girl with smiles of adoration towards the little infant as a young teen approached the girl down below.
The girl squealed in delight as her eyes brightened more spotting the teen. "Maya! Look! Look!" The girl exclaimed pointing at the flowers.
Maya giggled with a soft smile. "I see, Ky. Breath-taking, yeah? The storm yesterday blessed the land with beautiful flowers today." Maya said causing Kyra to huff with a pout as she crossed her arms.
"It was scary and too loud." The girl said with a frown causing the older sister to laugh.
"As scary as it may seem, look at all the wonders it did for us and the land, Kyra. You don't need to be afraid, we'll always be here to comfort and protect you." Maya said only for the little girl to squeal as she was lifted up off the ground.
Laughter rang out from the little girl as she was picked up and set on a pair of shoulders. "What's this about protecting? Is someone picking on you, Ky? Does your strong, big brother need to smack some sense into someone? Tell me and I'll teach them a lesson." A tall and masculine man said bouncing the girl on his shoulders causing the girl to let out shrieks of laughter.
"No, silly! No one's messing with me, Brother!" Kyra shrieked out as her little hands grabbed on his cheeks.
Maya laughed shaking her head, "Our dear little sister is scared of storms it seems, Byron." Maya said with a smile.
"Storms? Awe is little Ky afraid of a little rumble of thunder? Tell ya what, next time you feel afraid come to me and we will teach that storm who's boss. Your big brother will always be there watching over you." Byron said with a smile.
"Really, you promise?" Kyra questioned.
"Really! Cross my heart n' hope to die! I'll always be there, I swear, Ky!" Byron said holding out his pinky. The little girl smiled gleefully as she wrapped her tiny pinky around the larger one.
"Yeah! Never ever leave me!" Kyra exclaimed as she hugged her older brother with a smile nestling her cheek against his.
"Never." Byron confirmed.
Maya rolled her eyes, "You brute. Stop teaching her your brutish ways" She droned out in exasperation causing the man to laugh.
"What? Little Kyra is a fighter, aren't ya?" Byron questioned.
Kyra looked down at Byron pursing her lips together, "Do fighters get to have mommy's tea anytime they want?" Kyra questioned.
Byron chuckled in amusement, "They sure do...But when their older! You already have enough energy as it is Ky. Anymore and I'll have to chase you down again. And you're one tricky little one to find." Byron said causing the girl to pout and huff.
"No fair! You and Maya get to have it whenever you want!" Kyra protested still pouting.
Maya giggled at the little girl pouting as Byron swung her over his shoulders cradding the girl in his arms. Maya pinched the puffy cheeks of the pouting girl.
"That's because we're older. Soon you'll be able to have it anytime just like us, Kyra." Maya said gently.
"But, not too soon. I love my darling little baby sister like this! I want her to stay this cute for as long as possible. We don't need another Maya walking around giving me attitude." Byron said with a smirk before he nuzzled his cheek against Kyra's.
Kyra let out giggles smiling brightly at her siblings.
Maya huffed rolling her eyes, "You spoke too soon, Byron. Kyra already has quite the attitude." Maya commented.
"Do not!" Kyra protested.
"Do too!" Maya retorted.
"Nuh-uh!" Kyra argued.
"Uh-huh!" Maya said with a smirk.
Kyra clicked her tongue, rolling her eyes, "Tch. Whatever." Kyra said.
"See that right there is what I mean." Maya said with a wider smile as Byron laughed at the two girls.
"Oh no! Maya what have you been teaching our baby Ky! She's too young to develop such a mouth!" Byron exclaimed looking towards Maya before glancing down at Kyra with a cheeky smile.
"I'm going to have to erase that word from your vocabulary." He said before tickling the girl's sides causing shrieks of giggles to escape the girl's lips.
"Stop! I won't say it again! Ahaha! Byron, stop!" Kyra screeched out through laughter.
"Alright, alright. Go play, but don't stray too far." Byron said with a warning tone.
Kyra was set down as she took off in to the field again. She knelt down observing a butterfly that landed on a flower. Her eyes widened in amazement as the wings fluttered with a beautiful and vibrant blue.
A small chirp was heard causing Kyra to glance down and spot a small bird trying to fly away only to stay grounded as one wing remained motionless.
"You're hurt. Don't worry I won't hurt you." Kyra coaxed the bird gently stroking its head as the bird eased in to her touch.
Kyra frowned as she picked the bird up. She quickly ran back to her siblings as tears welled up in her eyes over the hurt bird.
"Big brother, big sister! Help!" Kyra shouted causing the two to grow alert as their protective instincts of the little girl made them rush to the girl.
"Kyra! What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Maya relentlessly hammered out question after question as she knelt to the girl's height.
"May, calm down. She won't be able to tell us what's wrong if you keep questioning her nonstop. Now what's wrong?" Byron lectured Maya before turning to Kyra with soft eyes spotting the tears in her eyes.
"H-He's hurt and can't fly! Please help him!" Kyra cried it in worry.
Maya bent down in front of Kyra examining the bird in her small hands as Byron leaned over.
"Can you help him, please?" Kyra asked with hopeful eyes.
"Hold out your hands,Kyra." Maya instructed. Kyra did as she was told, holding her hands out in front of Maya.
Maya held her hands under Kyra's as Kyra's eyes widened in awe as Maya's hands lit up in a golden light.
Kyra watched speechless as the bird slowly began to test the flexibility of its broken wing before flying off with a chirp.
Kyra watched the bird fly away before looking up at her sister in amazement.
"Whoa! How did you do that?" Kyra questioned.
"It's a special ability our clan has. It's a gift from mother earth and mother nature." Maya explained.
Kyra looked over to Byron, "Can you do that too, Big Brother?" Kyra questioned only for Byron to shake his head.
"Afraid not, but I can do other things, Ky. Like..." Byron paused as a colorful swarm of butterflies fluttered around them causing Kyra to smile brightly in astonishment before squealing in delight as a baby fawn and doe approached the three.
"I can summon nearby animals and befriend them." Byron explained as the fawn nuzzled against the little girl causing her to hum in joy.
The two deer left as the three moved back up the hill.
Kyra's eyes lit up as she looked up at her siblings in awestruck. "Can I do that too? What about mommy and daddy?" Kyra questioned in excitement.
The two laughed at the excitement of the little girl helping her up the hill before sitting down next to a tree offering shade.
"What about mommy and daddy, Ira?" A man asked leaning against a tree next to a woman craddling an infant.
"Daddy, Mommy! You're back!" The little girl exclaimed running to the man with a smile before she was lifted into the air by the man.
The woman next to him smiled warmly as the girl giggled in her husband's arms. He pulled her close in a hug before resting her in his lap.
Bright red eyes met them in wonder. The woman sighed with a giggle having seen that very same look in her husband's eyes before. It meant only one thing. Her little baby girl was curious.
The man raised an eyebrow as he held an equally inquisitive look, but for a different reason. "Now what about us, my Ira?" The man questioned gently stroking her hair.
"Can you and mommy do stuff like Byron and Maya?" Kyra questioned leaning into her dad's hand that played with her hair.
The parents rose an eyebrow in question before turning to their older children to explain in more detail, given the vagueness of the question the little girl asked.
"She wants to know if you and mom have special abilities from our clan." Byron explained.
The mother looked over at the little girl, "A curious little girl just like her father. Let's see how you talk your way around this one, dear." The mother hummed with a smile teasing her husband, who scratched his cheek.
The man looked at his daughter with a warm smile, "Ira, there are somethings that you will understood clearer in time." He started causing the little girl to deflate and pout causing the man to stop what he was saying.
"But I suppose it won't hurt to tell you some of them, now." The man said caving under the cute child causing his wife to look at him with a raised eyebrow. The man looked over at the woman.
"What? I can't take that look. She looks just like you when she does that face, Callie. I can't say no to a face like that, now can I?" The father said causing his older children to laugh as the woman sighed.
"You caved easy." The woman muttered.
The man smiled gently at his wife before turning to the little girl in his lap. "Ira, our clan is...different...special in a way. We have held close ties with nature and in return we were rewarded by mother nature and mother earth for it. These special abilities that have been gifted upon us vary between everyone in our clan. Maya just like her mother has healing. Your mother also has the ability to grow nature. Byron is like me and can befriend animals and can form allies. It's one of the reasons why the Titans don't attack us. One day I'll tell you the other reason. It stems closely with our ancestors and our clan's past. Not something you need to worry yourself about now. Anyway, your grandfather can create barriers out of thin air and your grandmother can control nature similar to what mommy does, but different. And your great grandmother was able to control weather and produce rain clouds in the sunniest of skies. Every Drosera has abilities like us and over time you will as well, Ira." The man explained with a smile.
"What will I have?" Kyra questioned.
Chuckles left their lips at the cute curious little girl. "That's the beauty of it, my little Ira. You won't know until it happens. It's like life's little surprise. No one knows until it happens not your father not your brother or sister not even me. You may already have developed them, but haven't shown it yet." The mother said with a kind smile and soft eyes.
The girl pouted, puffing her cheeks with a huff. "Older this, older that. Later. Being a kid stinks!" The girl rambled causing laughter to erupt at the adorable little girl pouting.
"One day you'll know, but until then enjoy being a kid and playing. Enjoy the nature of things including time, my Ira. Time is both a blessing and a curse, so always find joy in the smallest of things. Promise me, Ira, you will always look to the joys of life and cherish them. Keep them close and dear to your heart, and never let them go, no matter what. Protect them." The man said causing the girl to nod with a smile.
"I promise, daddy. Always!" Kyra said causing the man to smile and nod.
"Good girl. I know you will." The man said gently.
"Daddy, what if I don't get any special abilities?" Kyra asked in worry.
...
"Awe, cute. You absolute sweetheart. Even with your injuries you're healing him. You protected him didn't you, my dear? If that Shorty doesn't take you for himself, I might just have to take you for myself. Hear that Shorty, you better tell her how you feel before I snag her!"
"Ugh, nothing? Not even a twitch. Damn! I was hoping that would be enough to get a sarcastic response out of one of you, but given how severe your injuries are I shouldn't expect the two of you to be conscious."
...
"You will still be my little girl even if you don't. Nothing will change. No matter what Ira, we will always love you. We will always be there to watch over you, no matter how far away we are, we will always be there, especially here." The man said lovingly as he poked the girl's chest directly above her heart as tears welled up on the little girl's eyes.
"What's wrong, Kyra?" Maya questioned in worry.
"Kyra? Hey."
"Yeah, why the tears Ky?" Byron asked with a worried frown.
"Ky? You there? We need to talk. Kyra?" That voice...I know that voice...
"I'm just so happy. I love you all so much! You're the best!" Kyra exclaimed through tears causing them to look at her with soft eyes and gentle smiles as their hearts filled with nothing but love for the little girl.
"And we all love you just as much, Kyra. We will love you for forever and always, my dear. Never forget." The woman said soothing the little girl.
Never forget...
I won't forget. For ever and always. I love you all.