ORIGIN

Even from his gap within the rock he could figure out the other beings entering as being gembounds themselves. Quite a few came into view and his suspicions rose as to what this all meant. That deer creature with the mushrooms on his back, that gemstone on his head was huge and throbbing with a power he himself had not yet come to accomplish. Envy made a lump rise in his throat and that smaller deer appeared closed to him. Strangely, she looked familiar but he had only met a couple of other deer in the caves so he wasn't particularly good at differentiating.

A female wolf, a poison bird who he could swear he had run into before at Dark's birth. Then lo' and behold Dark appeared. That little owl munchkin was just appearing everywhere. Deer Dad spoke of the creature that lurked at the bottom of the lagoon, but he was most particularly interested in them not knowing where the dragon had gone. Dark gave some explanation but he wriggled out from under his rock, dirt had gotten caught up in pelt and he snorted at the gathered Gembounds, "That "thing" that was released from my home has taken up a delightful spot at Polaris. It burned off half my fucking face thanks to you fucking morons for releasing it from wherever the fuck it came from!" Narrowing his eye at the deer creature, he looked to Tamelyn. "You think? That thing is out of fucking control. I swear I will put a stick through the head of whoever has to mention that shit is dangerous."

Rapid speech caused his left side face to tweak painfully and he gritted his teeth once more, looking away from the group. Ashamed of the humiliation he had allowed himself to suffer at the hands of Raheerah. That had indeed been his fault, but if it had never been released it would never have been a problem in the first place. Now he wasn't entirely sure if it was released, Dark had showed him what he had heard and he knew for sure that there hadn't previously been a giant fucking dragon visible for everyone to see. Louie lashed his tail and flattened his ears, lip curling, he watched as Tamelyn tried to wake the monster from the deep.

Physical magic, that is the kind that would cause one to burn or sizzle was something that he didn't possess. If he needed to, he could poison the water but A. that would give away his intentions for being here and B. it could kill whoever was supposed to help them. Upon even remembering he had originally scouted out this place to figure out how best to strike he cast a nervous glance at Bevy. Not everyone here carried the scent of Maji Walezi, and he knew that while he was a member of Merry Men, his lack of socialization with the group meant he hardly carried the scent. Even if he did, they weren't well known enough to be considered a thread. They hadn't even done anything particularly threatening.

So Tamelyn's attempt had failed, there was no change in the state of the water disturbed by the eternal waterfall. Frustrated he could do nothing to help, he tried to focus his mental state on trying to feel beneath the water, if he could find something, he would latch onto it and send it a hallucination to end all hallucinations...

...Alas, it was of no use and feeling even more humiliated than before over his facial deformity his skin was burning and he tried his best to stay looking proud. Thankfully, there was no indicator of his failure other than his gem glowing and then fading with no product for such a thing occurring.

The little owl from before had arrived nearly out of breath, and the stag turned his head to listen. He spoke what the stag had feared: the dragon had gone to Polaris now, and according to the owl, everything was on fire. A fox with a gruesome burnt face soon pushed his way towards the group, backing up the owl's claims. The stag couldn't help but wince at the wound on his face, but his accusations of them setting the dragon loose from where he came from were regarded with only a grimace. Perhaps, had they not meddled in the dragon and the lamb's slumber, they would have continued to sleep for eternity - but with the caves so suddenly full of life, it was only a matter of time.

His lips pulled into a taut line, and for a moment there was lasting silence - Tamelyn had turned to explain the situation to the wolf, and the stag listened in, only to lighten up at she suggested that she could try something. Though he didn't know how effective it would be, he nodded and allowed her to try anyways. He stepped back and watched as she generated a powerful bolt of electricity, zapping through the water, sparks of white and yellow dancing on its surface and below. There he waited, but he could feel nothing stirring in the depths. Nothing had happened.

The deer's shoulders dropped slightly, but it seemed the other Gembounds in the group were not so willing to give up. While Bevy tended to the owl, Tamelyn's hatchmate decided to attempt to rouse the sleeping creature at the bottom of the lagoon as well. There was a surge of magic but it was weak - he could barely feel the earth tremble beneath his hooves. And yet... he felt it now, the disturbance from below. The stag's eyes widened as he peered over the edge, just in time for the dolphin to burst forward and greet them. He stumbled back, hooves clacking on the ground as he backpedaled and watched the dolphin chatter at them.

Below, the creature in the lagoon acknowledged the earthquake. They were alive... awake. A disturbance... "We need to make another disturbance." He announced, looking around at the group. But how? What could possibly disturb the creature that sat so deep within the lagoon beneath the waterfall? "You, fish creature!" The stag turned to Eeya. "How far down can you swim? Someone sleeps within this lagoon... at the very bottom. We need to wake them. Maybe if you... if you can speak to them..." He really didn't know. The stag shifted and threw another glance at the wolf. "Try again. Do anything to shake the ground, maybe... to make the waterfall stop for just a second... make it quiet."

Dark was weary, but he'd rested in Orion, and at least he wasn't tired. Not like he had been. Just worn, run a bit thin from all the nonstop action--the little owl just wasn't up to this sort of thing. For now, then, he just remained silent, listening in, cuddled and huddled near Bevy.

A lagoon? A creature sleeping beneath? It needed waking?

He thought, briefly. He could touch the minds of others--he'd done it to the beast in the pit, after all. With a ruffle of his feathers, he hopped unsteadily forward, toward the others' voices and their point of interest, searching the waters below with his mind.

"Maybe I can find it," he offered in a soft and chirping voice, blind eyes wide. He paused at the edge of the lapping water--it sounded close, not so deep as the pit had sounded--and tilted his head, scanning unseeing to and fro.

He felt his mind touch something, and as he waited to see if this faint tendril of connection would solidify, he spoke even more quietly.

"I whispered to the other-thing. The fire-thing. It hated," he murmured again, most of his mind off drifting through the waters below.

________________

Much of the reason why Delphine had decided to wander the depths of the winding tunnels and caverns was because she knew not what else there was to be done. Indeed, she had had the fortune of meeting many a Gembounds since her birth. Encountered different worlds in her journeys but to none could she call home. There was love to be had for those who had tended to and shown her affection, perhaps even, few who she would dare call family but they were not by her side now. No one to tell her what purpose she served or why she'd been blessed with sentient thoughts. What she lacked was what propelled her to wake every day. She would scour the corners of this world and upturn every stone if it meant she would find the revelation she so sought.

The walls and floors of Tunnel M were treacherous, slick with moisture that she had yet encountered. It was a miracle of sorts that she'd only fallen for the umpteenth time of the day, awarded another bruise beneath her black coat. The young filly made a game of her excavation, challenging herself to reach the next room without so much as a slip and if she had not been so absorbed with her every step, perhaps she would have noticed the scent of moisture in the air or the sound of water slapping against rock. It was only when she reached a sured safe point did she realize that the tunnel was no longer a tunnel but a new and different world. Her gaze drifted heavenward and immediately, Delphine was struck by the waterfall that fell from beyond.

In spite of her awe, force of habit trumped her child-like fascination, willing the Gembound to the central place where her magic lay. Her eyes shuddered close and with it, her senses were heightened to a new sight. Now more than ever, the scent of water flooded her as if she were standing within the center of the very pool; swathed in the power and energy that coursed through this place. That was when she saw them, multiple Gembounds all gathered in one place by the base of the waterfall.

Her eyes opened and with it, her normal sight was restored. There were no energy spikes nor violence to fear, thereby lending courage to Delphine. She made her way forward, a tentative staccato announcing her arrival when she came upon the group gathered. Without contest, her attention was drawn immediately to the stag with fauna growing along his back and shoulders. It was not his appearance that captivated but the ancient power that seemed to bleed from him. Delphine was bowed by reverential silence before she caught sight of Arkrael. "H-Hello... I am Delphine." She murmured shyly to the strangers all around. With hesitance to grace her every step, the filly made her way toward the wolf and whispered in earnest, "What's happening?"