ORIGIN

"Yes! He is," Cadenza was delighted that Sprig knew of any of their family. After all, the caves were very big. They also appreciated the way that he intently listened as they named their siblings even though it turned out he did not know them. It was a lot of names, Cadenza knew.

"Maybe," They sounded uncertain as they spoke of their unhatched sibling. "They have been in their chrysalis a long while." Cadenza gave a brief worried look to their own somewhat obscured children's chrysalises. Hopefully, they all hatched soon. Cadenza could hardly wait to meet them.

Cadenza considered the lion hybrid as he thanked them for their genuine words of friendship and protection. "You are welcome," They earnestly told Sprig. "But, it means a lot to me too. So, thank you." Their gaze was warm.

The antlered dragon laughed, soft and amused, at a thought that occurred to them. "Nearly every place I have explored, I have managed to find at least one child. I have met very few not-children. Perhaps that was a sign that I was meant to be a parent," They commented in musical delight.

"My other home is in Orion, where my deer-dad lives," They tilted their antlered head as a thought occurred to them. "There is a garden there, that his friend made. I think you would like it," Cadenza thoughtfully considered.

"Oh! Of course, you would not have to learn on your own, I could teach you!" Then they paused. "...I do use my limbs differently, but I would happy to try to teach you, regardless."

"I hope I can teach my children well," Cadenza wistfully stated. "It is a lot of responsibility, being a parent. I hope I do not fail them." Then they shook off the thought. "The first I tried to fly, I actually plummeted right into the water, because I did not follow the instructions quite right," They laughed softly. "My dragon-dad was able to guide me better for my next attempt, though we had to swim to shore before I could try again!"

"Protecting what you value... It is a good reason to grow strong," Cadenza tells Sprig, voice somewhat hushed. "I am worried what it means for me, all the dangers that my children will face in these caves." Their gaze grows distant. "I never want to hurt anyone. And yet... I would, for the sake of my children. It scares me, that such actions will irreparably change me."

But they refocused on the thought of coconuts. "I could probably break some for us!"

Cadenza nodded their head at the mention of self-defense. "The potential of my magic scares me, I admit, but my deer-dad uses his magic to defend others. I am glad my children will have him as an example to learn from, with regards to both learning magic and otherwise."

Once again, Cadenza flustered at the praise. "It was only a little water," They demurred shyly. But it was nice, to hear compliments from Sprig. It was different from hearing such words from their family. Perhaps because they were friends? It was not a bad different, though, that was for certain.

They were awed by Sprig's magic. "It is! The ability to grow is an admirable one." Not only growing plants, but growing of the self. But they were not sure how to word that they admired both qualities that Sprig certainly possessed.

Cadenza paused, wanting to help again, but surely the amount of water they could pull from the air was insufficient. So they turned towards the water, stepping away for a moment. They focused on trying to form ice.

Some ice solidified, if barely. Cadenza snatched it up before the ice could be swept away by the rest of the water. It was better that it was already on the way to melting because of their imperfect casting, they decided. They deposited the ice near the plant, so it melt into the ground there. "I brought more water!" Cadenza proclaimed happily.

@Sprig

So, his memory had been correct after all. Although he usually had a near perfect memory of things, the events that had transpired before his hibernation were blurry, as if they had been part of another life. Sprig followed the dragon's gaze to their own chrysalises, "They'll hatch, they usually do. It's unlikely that they won't." he reassured Cadenza. It was incredibly rare for them not to, as he had rarely heard of any instances of such a thing happening. He felt his ears heat up slightly at Cadenza's earnest words, and looked away for a second, shifting his weight between his paws.

"Perhaps!" Sprig laughed freely, a rather entertaining image popping up in his mind of the dragon wandering around and finding children in every cave they entered. But it was fitting. They were just someone who seemed to be naturally good at such things. It was something that he admired, actually. He perks up slightly at the mention of Orion, and a garden. Sprig wondered what kind of plants were grown there. His impression of Orion was that it was a rather barren and rocky cave, so whoever decided to tend to a garden there must be incredibly skilled! He had much to learn. "I would like to visit the garden sometime if allowed." The fact that Cadenza specifically mentioned the garden knowing he was interested in such things did not escape his notice. He was warmed knowing that they had noted his hobbies. They actually took interest in... his life. That was different. Or at least a change from what he was used to.

"Really? I don't want to distract you." Surely the dragon was busy with so many things that they wouldn't want to take a large portion of their time to teach him to swim. Though he wouldn't refuse the offer if Cadenza really wanted to teach him. In fact, it was something he knew he would enjoy. But he would feel guilty about using up their free time, especially if they were really busy.

Sprig laughed at their story of learning to fly, "You'll be a great parent. And you'll have the support of your own parents too!" From all that he had heard about Pride and Dread from Cadenza, it seemed like the two would make great grandparents and support the kids. "And I'll stop by too, if you ever need me."

His ears swivel slightly to better catch the dragon's words as they switch to a more serious topic. "If they do change you, it was for a good cause. And no one will think any differently of you. I know I won't." Sprig admired Cadenza's bravery, the willingness to fight. He wished he had that. But it was hard to when you had no one left to fight for. Maybe. "That's why we have family. And friends. To protect each other. But also to have gembounds to share the memories with." Sprig finds himself gazing into Cadenza perhaps a bit too intently, but quickly breaks away when he realizes it.

There's a small smile as he notices Cadenza's flustered state. "Sometimes a little water is all that's needed for a plant to flourish!" he pats the ground around the tree, nodding at himself. The ground was adequately watered. Though he hadn't grown a coconut tree before, so he wasn't really sure how much water it really needed.

Sprig didn't catch the double meaning of the dragon's words, or perhaps he did, but wasn't sure of whether Cadenza intended up on it. He didn't want to assume such things. "I'm just lucky to have it." Gembounds were born with a proficiency in a certain kind of magic, and he was very happy that he happened to have the magic that could nurture life. Though his response was purposefully vague in case Cadenza really was intending upon the double meaning.

Now for the hard part. This was the hardest spell he knew, and was incredibly hard to pull off. He took a few deep breaths, focusing upon the tree before him. Imagine it growing. Flourishing. The magnesite on his forehead obeyed the call, and magic poured forth, entering into the coconut tree. Soon, four bundles of coconuts had fully grown, though they were out of his reach. "It worked!" Sprig really hadn't expected the spell to actually go through. Perhaps his practice was really paying off! His lights shone with excitement. "Though now we have to reach them." It was hurting his neck just to look at the coconuts. The height of the tree was certainly astonishing.

He turns to see Cadenza carrying over a partially melting block of ice to serve as water. Sprig does give the ice a curious poke, not having seen much ice before. It was rather rare. He had only ever seen snow. It does not take long for him to realize that it was just water, but frozen. "Interesting, it's an easier way to transport water. Smart!" He knew that temperature magic was incredibly helpful with cooking, but it seemed it was just as helpful with gardening too!

@Cadenza

Reassurance from Sprig helped ease their worries. Even though something was unlikely did not make it impossible, but Cadenza did not dwell on those anxious thoughts for once. It meant a lot that Sprig wanted to reassure them. "Thank you," Their musical voice spoke as they warmly regarded Sprig.

"I do not think my deer-dad would mind. The garden is special because a friend of his made it, but I am almost certain he would not mind a friend of mine that appreciates plants as much as you do seeing it. Maybe my deer-dad might even have some knowledge about how one would make a garden in terrain unsuited for it?" Cadenza suggested.

The antlered dragon regarded the lion hybrid with puzzlement at his statement regarding swimming. "It would not be a distraction," They state, a little baffled, before realization dawns on them. "You are important to me too."

Which segued well into the next bit of conversation, after Cadenza resisting the urge to duck their head at the compliment. "I hope so. And I am very glad I have my dads' support. But, you are welcome around always. Need is hard to define, but I would always appreciate your presence when you wish to be around," They tell Sprig sincerely.

"More than luck," Cadenza declares, musical and warm. "You may have been born with such magic, but you did not have to nurture that aspect of yourself. You chose the growing things, and you yourself are a being that adapts and grows in response to situations." Then they duck their antlered head, shyness kicking in belatedly. Technically, the two of them had only met twice, and yet Cadenza felt they had a burgeoning understanding of Sprig regardless. "Was that presumptive? If so, I apologize."

Cadenza thoughtfully regarded the coconut tree. They had an idea, but first they intended to melt the water they had brought over. They were pleased by their success.

"You might want to move over a little?" Cadenza suggested, nodding away from the tree. And then, the dragon rose to stand on hindlegs, barely managing it. But they managed it long enough to snatch up a bundle of coconuts and then fall back to the ground with a thud.

"Now, to break them, right?" Cadenza inquired after dropping the bundle on the ground. They reached for one of the coconuts, to break in their jaws, and they did exactly this. However, they were surprised to find liquid inside.

The elegant-looking dragon sputtered and dropped the halves and some of the liquid dripped from their jaws. "...It has some kind flavored liquid inside. It actually tasted kind of good? But... It startled me,"

Cadenza looked rather embarrassed by their undignified display, especially since they were in front of Sprig. They were not sure why, but embarrassing themself in front of the lion hybrid was even worse than normal embarrassment. Was it too late to dive into the bay and hide for the next few cycles?

@Sprig

All gardens were special. What one grew in their garden and the state of the plants that lived there could tell you a lot about someone. Since Pride was a powerful magic user, he assumed that his friend would be just at proficient as using magic. Perhaps they could even teach him how to further master his own skills! His dream was to one day create a sanctuary with his plant magic, a safe haven filled with plentiful food and homes for all to live in. And that was all the more necessary now that he knew caves like Eridanus were not completely immune to infection. "That would be great! Perhaps I'll visit him sometime." He had heard so much about Pride from the dragon that he wanted to meet the deer. Visit the garden too.

Sprig gazes out at the water, deciding that it would be best for him to learn after the children had hatched. He would ask Cadenza for a lesson later. One thing he knew for sure. He was looking forward to it. Suddenly the prospect of learning to swim wasn't so scary anymore. If anything, it would be fun. The lion blushed at their words, trying his best to suppress the red spreading across his face. He hoped Cadenza didn't notice. "You'll be seeing me around quite often then." There was a slight smile as he said this.

"No no... thank you." Sprig steps a bit closer, smile growing as his notes how they seem to duck away when they were embarrassed. It was really quite amusing. "But you're naturally talented at these things." he glances for a moment at the melting ice at the roots of the coconut tree, "At magic. And making friends." He would never cease to be impressed by how Cadenza made the best of their temperature magic despite its destructive tendencies. They harnessed it in creative ways. That was not something many would be able to do. Not to mention how they seemed to have met so many gembounds on their journeys and befriend them.

He stepped away from the tree, watching the dragon reach up to snatch a bundle of coconuts from the tree. Cadenza's jaws were powerful, at least much more so than his own, and managed to break the coconuts that he had not managed to crack open previously. Sprig let out a light laugh at their puzzled expression, and noticed they seemed rather embarrassed by this. He walked over to one of the halves of the coconut that had fallen onto the ground, dunking his muzzle into it so that the liquid was also dripping from his mouth. Now they looked equally ridiculous! "Mmm, this tastes good!" Sprig noticed that the coconut also contained white on the inside, despite its brown outer appearance. Was it edible? He gingerly bit off some of it, noting the chewiness of it in his mouth. "Coconut... meat? Tastes amazing. Try some!" Sprig pried some of the inner white stuff off from the shell and offered it to Cadenza. "I wonder what recipes it would be good in. Or perhaps I could invent a new one. What's your favorite food?"

Meanwhile he surveyed the chrysalises further. The coconut tree was a great source of food, but its lack of leaves at its base meant it didn't exactly obscure the gemstones. He decided that some bushes would serve as more direct cover. Whether it was the coconut or something else, he felt the magic suddenly surge through him, easily, and with great power. Within a few moments, several bushes had grown to nearly full size, growing leaves and nearly hiding the chrysalises completely. Sprig stood there shocked for a few moments. That had taken barely any effort at all! "Did you see that?" He looked around as if to see what could have caused this to happen. "I just... did that."

@Cadenza

Cadenza beamed at the Sprig. They very much liked that the lion-hybrid intended to be around often. It was hard to define, the way they liked him. It was so very different from the way they liked others. Was it because Sprig was a friend? But, for some reason, they did not think that was it. Though they were unsure why else they might feel this way.

Their embarrassment becomes somewhat flustered as Sprig steps closer and thanks them. "It is simply the truth," They demurred. But they feel a combination of delight and shyness as Sprig compliments them. "Thank you," They give their own gratitude.

In truth, they do not know if they are good at magic, when others in their family had such powerful magic comparison, though they did not fail with their magic often, admittedly. They were fairly creative, from what it sounded like, though. They supposed it could indeed be true, the part about magic. But they were not sure whether they were good at making friends or not. It simply seemed easier to exist around Sprig.

As Sprig dipped his muzzle into the coconut, and then raised his head, Cadenza's laughter chimed through the air. "We are quite the pair," They comment, amused delight at Sprig finding a solution to their own embarrassment by having them equally silly looking.

Delicately, Cadenza accepted the coconut meat. "It is very good!" Their ember gaze was bright with enjoyment, both of the food and of the company. "Any food you make is my favorite food," The antlered dragon declared earnestly.

Cadenza gazed with awe at the bushes that grew around the chrysalises, obscuring them further. It was not only an amazing feat of magic, it was beyond meaningful that Sprig had managed such magic while working to protect the chrysalises, their children. "You did," They agreed, regarding Sprig with undeniable warmth and appreciation. "Thank you," They intoned and bowed their antlered head not from embarrassment for once but instead gratitude. They were very lucky to have met someone as wonderful as Sprig.

As they raised their head, a thought occurred to them. "...Do these need water too, you think?"

Before they got an answer, they hurriedly turned around to once again attempt to freeze some water to drag over. The idea of these beautiful bushes that had been created being neglected by them was abhorrent. They wanted to nurture and help.

The ice was somewhat less solid than it could be, but that was alright. They still picked it up and brought it over. After some consideration, they picked up the ice, split the ice into chunks with their teeth, and deposited a portion of ice by each bush.

@Sprig

The longer he spent with Cadenza, the more he couldn't bring himself to leave. Why visit the dragon when he could just... live here? And see them everyday? Not to mention how far away Pegasus was from here. He wondered if that was something that was appropriate to ask. Was it even normal to live somewhere just because your friend did? Friend... was that what Cadenza was? It had been established in speech now, but it still didn't feel quite right. Perhaps he would bring it up later.

From this distance, Sprig is able to note how their obsidian gemstone forms a pattern that reminds him of a necklace. He sees the way each scale overlaps over the other, and how their belly isn't actually white, but rather, an incredibly light shade of blue. It was all beautiful. Perfect. He quickly pulls his gaze away.

"We are!" Happiness thrums in his heart as he listens to Cadenza's musical laughter, glad that he was able to ease their embarrassment. Sprig watches closely as they eat the coconut meat, and the colors along his back start to light up at their compliment. His heart was beating too fast! But was that really a bad thing?

He nodded, watching the dragon provide the bushes with more water. They could be a great gardener for sure! Sprig channeled another burst of his energy to finish growing the bushes, and watched as they matured into rather leafy domes. It covered the chrysalises completely from view now to anyone who may happen upon the area. "And finished!" But now the singular coconut tree was a bit odd looking. Should he grow more trees to accompany it? "What other plants would look nice?"

An idea had been cooking up in his head since Cadenza mentioned that they liked whatever food he made."I have an idea!" It was similar to fruit rolls, but with some tweaks to the recipe. Mainly being that instead of heating something up, it would include cooling something down. And that would be much easier with Cadenza here. "Coconut... bars! We crush chunks of the coconut, mix it with the coconut water, then cool it down. I don't know if it will work though. But we can try!" He had made it up on the spot, but that's how all recipes were invented, weren't they? And he had already made fruit rolls once for Cadenza, so he wanted to try to make something different.

"Could you make more ice please? We can pour the mixture on it!" And with that, Sprig immediately got to working on crushing up some coconut meat so that it could be mixed in with the liquid. He was very tempted to eat more, but restrained himself from doing so.

@Cadenza

Cadenza could not help but admire the lion-hybrid as light shone from his form. For all that Cadenza was a pale and rather colorless creature themself they found color to be lovely, especially bright colors. And, for some reason, the fact that this was Sprig made the sight all the lovelier.

Then they realize they are staring, and they feel oddly embarrassed by the fact. Hopefully, Sprig would not think them rude.

So, Cadenza turns their gaze to the bushes, now fully grown and providing wonderful cover for the chrysalises. "They look great!" They exclaim. And, they think, Sprig looks great too. Wonderfully lovely in his happiness.

But what to add? It already looks marvelous, in their opinion. They glance around for inspiration. "Maybe a few scattered bushes in the surrounding area?" They tentatively suggest. That is the way that foliage seems to work around here. It would make the area less conspicuous, though Cadenza doubts anyone would guess that there are chrysalises hidden here regardless.

At the idea of a new recipe, Cadenza perks up, thoughtfully considering the idea as Sprig prepared the ingredients. "I have an idea," Cadenza announces. Instead of going to the water to make more ice, they wait for Sprig to finish preparing the mixture.

Then Cadenza focuses on freezing the liquid in the mixture, so that it would capture the pieces of coconut meat inside the frozen coconut water.

It succeeds. "Now we do not need to get ice to cool it!" They beam. Then anxiety makes an appearance. "...Was that okay? I can open another one for trying the other way, if you would prefer?" Cadenza hopes they did not overstep.

@Sprig

Sprig pretends not to notice that Cadenza was also staring, not wanting to make things awkward. He shakes himself to free his fur of any debris that may have been caught in it in case that was what the dragon was staring at. It's rather surprising really, how dirty one can get without realizing it. Though now that he thought about it, working with plants really was an inherently messy hobby.

He smiles, happy that Cadenza liked the bushes. "Great idea, don't want this spot to stand out too much." Having a random spot in Leo bursting with plants would probably have the opposite effect that was intended. It made it stand out rather than blend in. Scattering around some bushes would resolve that for sure.

His magic was coming rather easily to him. It felt nearly effortless. Nearly. Young bushes sprouted up from the ground, though weren't fully grown yet. Though he was happy with how much progress he had made. Before, it had been incredibly hard to get his magic too cooperate. Recently it seemed to be much easier. Was it because Cadenza was here?

Finishing the mixture, Sprig leaves it to Cadenza to do the final step. "Wow!" the lion licks at the resulting frozen coconut. "That's so smart! And tastes amazing too!" He wonders what he should call it. Coconut bars didn't sound quite right. Frozen coconut wasn't very catch. "What should we name it?" Sometimes, coming up with a fitting name for the food was almost as important as cooking it. After all, a name like 'solidified fruit' didn't sound quite as delicious as 'fruit rolls'.

Sprig shakes his head at Cadenza's question, "The most important part of cooking is creativity! I would never have thought of that. You should consider being a chef yourself!" he beamed at this statement, incredibly proud of the dragon. He should cook with them much more often!

"What do you think would happen if we cooked coconut?" Would it make it crunchy? Or would it evaporate to form something chewy? He was curious now how it would work the other way around!

@Cadenza

Cadenza pondered what else might help with the flora blending in. "Perhaps in addition, some of the scattered bushes could be fully grown, and then others at various other stages of growth?" Since in nature, it would be a little odd to have only fully grown plants around. "If that is not too exhausting, that is."

The antlered dragon shyly ducks their head at the compliment. Then they contemplate potential names. "...Maybe Coconut Ice?" It is not particularly creative, but Cadenza never tried to name anything before. Luckily, they think, children usually name themselves.

Flustered but flattered at the idea of being a chef, Cadenza genuinely thinks it over. "I think I am happy simply being your assistant, Sprig," Cadenza warmly tells the lion hybrid.

They thoughtfully consider the cooking question. "Would we be cooking it before or after opening it?" They question. "Do you think it would affect the cooking process differently depending on that?"

Once again, Cadenza turns to the water, attempting to freeze a chunk to bring over to water the new bushes. They do not know if the plants need water at the moment, but they want to help.

But, their spell fails. They stare sadly at the water.

@Sprig

Sprig didn't consider that before. But now that he thought about it, it was true that plants were never at quite the same stage of growth. It just wasn't that noticeable with bushes. If you looked really closely there was a discernable difference between one that was fully grown and one that was younger, but at a glance it was harder to tell. But every detail mattered. And what happened instead was. Well. Rather unfortunate. His spell seemed to outright cause the reverse affect, and the bush he was focusing on just withered away. "Oh..." the lion stared at it with a sad expression. He had just killed it! But on the bright side. "But I guess that's more realistic, huh?" After all, there tended to be several dead bushes scattered around along with alive ones. It mimicked nature much better in that sense if there were a few dead ones mixed in.

"Coconut Ice!" It was a fitting name, and rather catchy too. When he invented more snacks he would be sure to have Cadenza name those too. He wondered what it would take for him to learn the magic that the dragon possessed. Or else he would have no way to make Coconut Ice on his own. Or else he would be able to randomly surprised Cadenza with it whenever he visited! Sprig licked up some more of it, feeling the taste of the delicious treat spread through his mouth. It was just so tasty! But he left the rest for the dragon to eat, not wanting to steal all of it.

Sprig smiles, "I'm glad." he pauses for a second. "It means you're stuck with me!" He immediately looked away upon saying this, trying to hide the embarrassment on his face. Should he have said that? What if Cadenza took it the wrong way? What was the right way to interpret that anyways?

He thinks on this question for a few moments, tilting his head as he did so. "I'm not sure. Let's try it opened first!" Sprig reaches down, picking one of the larger coconuts from the bundle and picking it up in his jaws. Would he be able to bite it open he wondered? Cadenza had been able to do it easily because they were, well, a dragon. He presses down, but his teeth only make a dent on the hard shell. Sprig drops releases the coconut from his grip, staring down at where there were now faint bite marks on the shell.

"I don't think I can crack it open." Sprig had a slightly disappointed look. He wanted to be able to help! Not to mention, he was going to have major problems cooking anything involving coconuts if he couldn't even break the shell without their help! But in a way, he felt like this Coconut Ice was a special treat shared between just them. Like a secret recipe. He wouldn't want to share it with anyone else, or make it just for himself to eat.

"I haven't tried anything like it before. But I assume it would." Though he questioned what the actual affects of cooking it closed would be. Would it explode? Or would it just start leaking? Did he even want to try? Either way, it was still safer to cook it open for now. It wasn't a good idea to go experimenting on such things, especially around the chrysalises.

Sprig joins Cadenza by the water as they stare sadly into it. He feels the breeze ruffle his mane, and he folds back his eyestalks against his head, looking up at Cadenza. "Are you okay?" He unconsciously moves his tail to touch the dragon ever so slightly.

@Cadenza