ORIGIN

A shattered chrysalis that gave the illusion of gold lay a few feet away from a rusty red babe. He was new to the world, freshly hatched and unsure of himself. Everything was misty and foreboding. The rusty red creature held his tail in his paws as he gazed around. Nearby he heard the forlorn sound of some thing. He didn't quite know what but it sounded pitiful. It scared him and intrigued him at the same time. He could run but he didn't want to, he wanted to see, to know. With his tail still clutched in his small paws he went towards the noise in the mist. Pale eyes bulging to try and see better. Soon he happened upon a tiny red thing... A little rat. Teeth were yellow, crooked, ugly and its tattered fur was filthy and unclean. It was tiny and young like him and all alone.

He did not know but it was a cave rat pup. Abandoned by its mother... Or perhaps its mother had been killed. Either way, it would receive no more care on its own.

The red babe did not know this, no. He was just intrigued and as such wanted to touch the creature. He reached out a paw and tried to give it a pat but was met with a his as the red pup scuttled backwards. Confused he tried again and was met with similar results. That wasn't working. He stopped, upset with the results. A huff came from his mouth as he looked around.

What would help gain the pup's trust? He cast around and find a scuttling beetle. Would that work? Quickly he reached out with a paw and grabbed it. This time when he reached out with his paw and offered up the prize the rat at first hissed but then considered the offering. With grimy paws it snatched the beetle and ate it. It's red eyes, matching the ruby horn on its forehead, stared up questioningly at the offerer of the beetle. It's primitive brain trying to comprehend what happened.

The rusty newborn giggled, happy that he'd made some progress with the pup. Even more progress when the pup snuffled at his paws. Eyes roaming upwards to silently ask for more. Or... That's what he thought. He shook his head and said, "No mores! But I can getcha mores! C'mon!" He turned and began to walk away, waving a paw for the pup to follow. For a moment it stared at him but then, deciding that perhaps she would get more beetles if she played along, went on behind him.

Suddenly the cave didn't seem as lonely as they trudged around, searching for more food.

Along they walked in the misty tunnel, he in front and she slightly behind. Her grimy claws clicked on the ground while his four claws were slightly less noisy. His nose snuffled along the ground as he tried to track something else. Another beetle or a worm or something for his companion to eat. He didn't want her to leave. Oh no, she was his only friend at the moment. It was by sheer luck that he managed to find something hiding underneath a large stone. It was iggly and wriggly, it was a worm. He uprooted it and turned to give it to his rat-friend. She wasn't nearly as hesitant as before and quickly gobbled up the worm. Pleased, the rat pup half-closed her eyes and wagged her long tail back and forth.

Tenn didn't know how he knew but he did know that she was happy which made him happy too! He clapped his forepaws together as he smiled down at her. "That fill ya up?" The rat said nothing. It only tilted its head to the side and wrinkled its nose. "'Course it did!" As if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. He waved a paw again. "C'mon! Let's go 'splorin'!" He walked on and the rat pup, thinking she would be fed again, followed him.

It was by chance that he heard that sound of another voice. He turned his head and looked over to the sound. Why, there was a tiny dot of a creature! It looked to be the same color as himself! Judging by the hair color on his arm and the color of fur on the little thing. Where they the same sort of animal? Perhaps they were! Did that mean something? Were they related? Was he supposed to go to her? With a happy little clap he shuffled right over to the newborn and sat in front of her. "Howdy! Are ya my kinfolk?" His voice was happy, cheerful even, as he questioned her. He didn't quite know what kinfolk was but it was something that made him all giddy inside so he hoped she was.

Didn't know? She wasn't a lemur? What was a lemur, anyway? That was he? Quickly the little newborn to glance over his rusty-furred body taking an extra long look at his tail his feet and pawing at his muzzle. Then he looked at her own gray-ish fur with the rusty streaks, it was so like his! His muzzle was longer than hers but that was probably just because he was bigger! Her tail was quite long and though they had a few aesthetic differences it was all the same! "Aww, that don't mean nothin'! We were both hatched up here an' we both sorta look the same. I think that means we are kinfolk!" He clapped his paws and begin to sing in a voice quite deep for a child, "You're a cat an' I'm a lemur! Don't make no difference with our same demeanors!" He laughed after his little impromptu song and glanced first at the cat and then at his rat who was scratching her ear with a paw, not caring about anything that was going on.

"It's all relative, really." Or something like that? He could be big and she could be small. It didn't matter to him! "Maybe it's cause you're the lil' sister an' I'm the big brother!" Well, that seemed to make more sense. Perhaps she would always be small because she was younger than he was. Of course, at the mention of a name he took on a frown. A name? Why, he hadn't thought of that but now that she mentioned it... It all seemed to fall into place. "Hmm... I think..." He stroked his chin with one paw as he thought and slowly began to come up with a name. "Ten... I... See... Ten-I-See... Tennessee! Yahoo! Boy-howdy I think that's my name!" He rose to his paws and put one forepaw at his waist, raised his tail into the air dramatically and he bowed to the lady before him. "My name is Tennesse, ma'am." He raised his eyes to look the little cat before him, a grin on his face. "Oh!" Losing all of his gentlemanly facade he grabbed the rat sitting next to him and held her at his chest while it squirmed and hissed vehemently, protesting the touch. "An' uh... I think... Well, I dunno what to call her but ain't she a sweet?" The hissing and spitting that the rat was currently doing was quite the contrary to his words.

"What's yer name?"

Ah, what a lovely sound she made! Not a singing really but a sort of humming that complimented his tenor tones nicely. Perhaps they'd have to make some songs again later. For now it was discovery time, discovery of their names and perhaps... Discovery on the way out. He didn't know how she felt but this tunnel definitely had some weird vibes going on. "Why thank-ya kindly, ma'am! I hafta say that I like it too!" It was his own special name and he loved it a lot! Would her name be like his? Or would she have a name that complimented his in its own way like her humming had?

Daisy? He held the squirming and hissing rat out in front of him where it finally fell still but its expression was hardly calming. Still, Tennessee managed to ignore the pup's glare and smiled at her. "Why, I think Daisy sounds mighty fine! An' look! She's calmed down! I think she likes it too!" The lumur put the newly-named Daisy back on the ground where she gave one final hiss and scuttled a short distance away to glare sullenly at the duo, pride injured from being held. "Aw, she jus' wants some more bugs! Then she'll be right as rain!" His attention turned back to his little sister as she tried to come up with her own name.

"Inima? Why, that's mighty pretty, lil' sister!" He nodded his head, completely sincere with his words. Just as he thought it complimented his own name quite well. Inima and Tennessee. "I think we'll be a nice lil' ole crew! You, me'n'Daisy all off an'-- Hey!" He bounced up and down on his paws, suddenly excited. "Would ya like t'go 'splorin'? Me'n'Daisy were lookin' for bugs on the way outta here! I'd love it if ya came with us, lil' sister!"

When the slightly younger newborn came closer to him Tennessee knelt next to her. One paw slid over her back to give her a reassuring pat. "Don't worry, we'll find a way out together! It's just a manner of walkin' on till we find the exit. C'mon!" He lowered onto all four feet and began to set off, expecting his sis to follow him along. Behind them both Daisy first only stared but then rose onto her paws and began to follow behind at a lagging pace, claws scuttling across the ground.

Tennessee smiled knowingly and as they went along he began to search under and behind rocks while steadily heading towards what he thought was the exit. "That's right. We'll just keep walkin' this way an' we'll be outta here in no time flat, yessiree." He just managed to nab another bug from underneath a rock and for a moment he stopped and held it out to Daisy. The rat pup, quite happy to be offered another piece of food, ran forward and took it from his paw. With a crunch it was down her throat. Her tail began to wag and instead of lagging behind when Tennessee took off again she walked right up beside him and Inima.

He made a turn to the right and continued forward, perhaps this would be the right way too?