ORIGIN - our last days as children

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@Makyna @Cadence @Baroque @Sonata @Eeya @Thistle @Quintus @Cerulean (and tagging @Bevy just because)
It is optional whether or not your characters are present for the funeral (but its probably good if they are). This thread takes place at the same time as this thread and this thread. I'll post again on January 2nd, or once all characters have posted.

He carried her to the place she had called her nest. It was a divot in the stone filled with the familiar plants and adornments he often saw growing through Pisces or even decorating their own den. Some small flowers, but mostly bitter and sweet smelling plants. Vines hung from the entrance, protecting its contents from prying eyes. Today, they would protect her.

The two stones had been left inside the den against the wall near the entrance, guarded but out of the way while he prepared the den for the eternal slumber of its owner. Bevy had been lain out in the center of the shelter and those he had enlisted to help him, including the cat they had taken into their ranks, Bartos, were bringing rocks from around the cave's main area. One by one they delivered them and Leon gathered them up against the walls. The den was barely large enough for him, but he had crawled to its back and sat against the wall, his eyes lowered, mentally rolling over what he was going to say. How he would say his last goodbye.

It was just the two of them left, now; Makyna and him. Cancer's banishment had severed him from the group, and with Bevy gone, there was hardly any chance he'd return. There was nothing left for the leopard now. Makyna and Leon had comprised the other half of the group upon its conception. He'd always thought the four of them would persist, in some way; Maji Walezi would always be them. No matter how much he had hated Cancer, they overcame their rivalry to form an understanding of one another. He didn't understand Bevy a lot of the time, but she was the voice of reason, a soothing superior to which he had looked up to. But they were both gone; Bevy's death had chased Cancer, and Amaria would stay with him. Leon struggled to accept that fact. Visions of a perfect life had been shattered.

His eyes slowly closed, quelling the lump in his throat; at least long enough for him to be able to speak. He had to chase the moisture from his eyes, but it rimmed his lenses regardless, adding a glossy sheen to the dark orange of his somber gaze. Maybe his daughters would find him weak for his emotion. Maybe his son would find solidarity in seeing his father cry. Maybe the others would witness his indecision and call him unfit. But this was the least he could do, for all of them, for Bevy.

When the slow footsteps of the cat had brought him back to the den, Leon opened his eyes and reached forward, collecting the last of the rocks and pushing them aside. One paw situated next to Bevy, its proximity still reminiscent of protection. Guarding her in the last ebbing moments of her existence, coveting what would be their last encounter. The bear nodded to him and straightened his posture, his head bowed to the bird, biding his time.

Bartos had been quick to leave the meeting once it was concluded. He hadn't cared who came out of it the leader; he didn't know either candidate well enough to be biased, and as such, he hadn't voted. His vote would have been meaningless anyways, and he would have ended up randomly choosing between the bear and the leopard. It didn't seem to be much of an issue anyways, the bear came out the victor and the meeting was soon concluded. Bartos had glanced up at Quintus, glad that his friend was there, but he still wasn't much in the mood to socialize. Most of his time was spent obsessing over the twin chrysali that were steadily growing in his den. Shards of Clover that had remained from their last encounter. His heart ached for her.

Thinking of her had only been a minor distraction, and it wasn't enough to take him away from the events as they unfolded after the meeting. He hadn't caught what happened, only that his Kerby had attacked the bird, Bevy. He'd watched with horror as a blinding pink energy had split the air and suddenly she was a smoldering pile of feathers, and there was violence as the members of Maji Walezi fought to avenge her, fought against Kerberos, chasing him into the water - then he was gone. It was Quintus that had leaped in, ready to kill Kerberos for his actions. Like Leon, Bartos was suspended in the middle. Kerberos... He couldn't have imagined that the three headed dog be capable of such corruption. He had been so gentle and so kind when Bartos first emerged from his stone. His Kerby. Even if they had been separated, he always would have been his Kerby...

But then he saw the evil that the dog had done. The evil, so like Hasira, who ripped them apart and took what they loved, and his heart too had sank. He would always be grateful for Quintus, and yet it poisoned him as he saw his best friend lunge for the dog that had cared so tenderly for him. But that wasn't the same tender dog. It wasn't his Kerby anymore. It was a murderer. Bartos hadn't known Bevy, but she was alive, and she was loved, just like the rest of them.

He followed Leon to her den and did as he was asked. His crooked leg made it difficult to move much, but for their sake, he bit down the pain and hobbled away. The cat pushed stones of all sizes back to the den, wondering vaguely what Leon would use them for. In the back of his mind, he had an idea, but he wouldn't know for sure until later. Most of the task was spent thinking, wondering, trying to remember Bevy - how kind she had been when Quintus took him back to Maji Walezi, how gracious she was to let the cat stay and recover. She had been the one to conduct the wedding of the bear and the lioness, and he remembered her voice ringing out. He hadn't known her, but her gentle presence reverberated in him. How could he do this? Leon was right. It was betrayal.

Bartos returned to the den with the last rock and as Leon nodded, he finally sat back. He was still a good few feet from the entrance, allowing room for anybody else to come and see. He expected the rest of the group to arrive, but he didn't know if they would be cast away in mourning - at the very least, he and the bear would see the bird rise to a better place, and that gave Bartos some closure.

Thistle was standing with Baroque, watching the stones roll, seeing that small little shape. She was frowning and leaning on Baroque as if her legs couldn't take the weight. What was going on? Why wasn't that gem moving? Why was everyone sad? She wanted to ask Baro, but he was really quiet, and he would probably cry if she asked, and she definitely didn't want to ask Leon, who she could see was crying already.

She battled with indecision for a while. Should she....say something? What if she bungled it up? What if-

She just shook her head. She knew by now that if she stayed quiet, the opportunity would pass, and she would lose her options. It was better to choose one before she let it slip away, rather than waste time fretting over what she could be doing.

She walked over to Leon, chewing her lip and wondering what she would say - she still worried about saying the wrong thing, but she had since decided that honesty was the best policy, and the best words were chosen from that idea.

She butted her head into Leon's strong leg, then looked up at him. In a teeny tiny whisper, so that no one else could hear, she said, "I tell Baro s'okay to cry a lot." Then she looked at the small form of the bird, whom Leon seemed to be upset about. Was he upset because she wouldn't wake up? Maybe she was dreaming, like Thistle had been when she'd been inside her shell. Nobody could wake her up while she'd been dreaming, which was okay. She'd just woken up when it was time.

Thistle still didn't get the aura of sadness the small cave seemed to have, but she kept quiet about it.
"S'always okay to cry."

@Baroque @Leon

She couldn't believe that Bevy was gone... One moment she'd been alive and the next she was destroyed by a blast of radiation from Kerberos. It was hard for the lioness to register that one of her friends whom she had known for so long was no longer around. She could think back to the day when they had all come together under Cancer's call and formed this very group. And Cancer... Makyna knew that he and Bevy were very close. Even though he wasn't her favorite gembound the cat knew that he would have been an asset to the group. However, she would understand why he wouldn't want to come back. Hell, if she was in his position she wouldn't either... She hardly wanted to be here now. Her head shook as she began to gather flowers together, one last offering to her late friend.

For once the blue flower that normally graced her ear was not present. The lioness instead wore a black rose on her ear. Cadence was dressed similarly with a black rose tucked into the tufty fur of her head. It was a compromise that normally wouldn't have taken place but with how sad Makyna was, her cub didn't want to put up a fight. Instead, sensing her mother's great sadness the child rubbed her head against Makyna's foreleg.

The golden girl smiled down sadly at her little girl before flicking her tail, it was time they both go.

Both carried flowers of all colors in their mouths as they made their way over to Bevy's little den where Leon, Bartos, and Thistle had already gathered. Cadence made her way over to sit beside her brother and lifted one paw to touch his side. The cub didn't know how Barry would react to this whole thing but with all of the negative emotions she was sure it wouldn't be good, especially if Papa Bear was so sad.

Makyna walked right up to Leon and after sitting the bundle of flowers down beside Bevy's body she bumped her head against his shoulder before sitting down next to him. Her tongue rasped once over his cheek to try and clear away the tears. Right now it didn't feel like a right moment for words... Just silent encouragement. This needed to be done, it was the right thing.

She turned a smile on Thistle, silently thanking her.

399
Leon, Bartos, Baroque, Thistle
---
6/10

"Talking looks like this!"
"Singing looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

Baroque wasn't crying. That in itself was a small miracle. He did not know much of Bevy, having only met her... Well, not not enough to say that he knew her. He understood that she was gone now, though her body was still there and her gem was still... There. Couldn't they just put the pieces together, put them back, and wake her up? Wouldn't that fix it? It didn't make any sense to Baroque, but it filled him with a horrible dread.

What if it happened to his mother or his father? Or his sisters, or Thistle? What would he do then? The thought was so paralyzing that there was nothing the young boy could do but stand around, feeling useless and entirely too small. He had the comfort of Thistle at his side, her soft voice speaking up and stirring him from his quiet distraught.

The young boy glanced up at his father, watching as tears dropped down his cheeks. As his mother came by, grooming away the wetness. Leon never cried, no matter how upset any of his children were-- no matter what happened. Barry stared at his dad, tears in his eyes, and quietly wondered... Perhaps it was okay to cry. Thistle was right. Sometimes... Sometimes it was even brave to cry, and Leon proved it. The cub leaned into his father, a rasping, rumbling purr breaking through his chest.

And quietly, the boy bowed his head like his father, staring through the feathers and stones and now flowers that composed the grave.

She's dead, the words continued to ring inside the brute's head, punishing and bringing him down to the point of depression. Quintus wanted to forget but then again at the same time he did not want to, he also wanted to remember both his mentor's face and the face of the bastard who murdered her in cold blood; he wanted his revenge. Despite how dysfunctional his mind was right now, the lion's face was hardened for someone needed to be strong while the others were down and Quintus had seemed to take on that dutiful role. He wanted to wail in anger and just get away from everyone else but even he knew that would not solve anything, his father would need help for the gembound had more weight on his shoulders than anyone else.

The lion would wander towards the place that his mentor called her nest for that was where Leon had told him to meet him in after he was done with the task he had been given. Reminding himself of the task just managed to sour his mood even further for Quintus would come back a failure, the owl was sadly nowhere to be found and the lion could not help but throw all the blame upon himself, damn it! Eventually Quintus would reach the area he was to rendezvous in only to see the horrid sight of a gathered group of gembounds, all mourning. Taking a moment to gather himself, the brute would go on forward with a confident gait to his step, paying no one attention whilst he would walk towards his father.

Taking a moment to look at the bear's amber eyes, the lion would lower his gaze in shame and would shuffle his paws in anxiety, he hoped that would reach to his sire and he would get the idea for the brute did not want to tell him of his failure using his mouth. Quintus would look on towards his mother and brush against her in affection, everything will be okay, he wanted to open his mouth and let those words out but he could not even assure himself of such things, i-it will be okay.

He would take a moment to look towards the three smaller figures of his siblings and muster up the best smile he could, the feeling of pride mixing in with everything else he was feeling at the sight of his little brother trying not to cry. Eventually he would depart to stand beside the figure of his companion instead of looking as to where his mentor had been buried, Quintus did not dare look towards the burial ground out of fear that he would explode.

Slowly turning to Bartos, the lion would let quite the dry chuckle come out of his mouth, "Barty," taking a moment to look towards the cave's roof the lion would resume what he was trying to say, "Just what do you think happens after death?"

Moments of silence seemed to extend like an eternity. He sat with Bartos as the rest of the Gembounds wandered into the vicinity of the den to pay their respects. Thistle and Baroque had come, and the antelope gently butted her head against him, reassuring him that it was okay to cry. Her sentiments were appreciated, and again his thoughts went out to Baroque, reaching out for the child. Thankfully, Baroque wasn't too far away, and he took came to sit close. They lingered in quiet, taking in the heaviness of the situation, and he was grateful when Makyna, too, had come to sit next to him. Her presence beside him offered him strength and comfort, solace in the knowledge that they were grieving together. They were all grieving. But he and Makyna had known Bevy for so long - they had made up the foundations of Maji Walezi, and now without her, without Cancer... he feared that it would crumble.

The only thing that broke the veil of quiet was Quintus' humble question, and Bartos somber response, but the bear didn't bother to peer at either of them. He waited for a moment more and closed his eyes, sucking in a slow breath. It was time to say goodbye.

"Bevy..." His voice, normally so strong, struggled to keep its typical volume. It cracked under the weight of expectation, so fragile as he fought to keep it in check. But even now, his throat swelled and his visage wanted to contort into a grimace, into a sob, he could feel it gathering in his eyes. Slowly he began to grasp the rocks in his paws, and one by one he began to build them up around Bevy. "It is with great sadness in our hearts that we say goodbye to you today. You were among the first of our friends, whether as newborns or weary travelers. We will remember you with the same vivacity you held on that first day as we do today, on this, our last day as children." Melancholy notes rose up through the stagnancy, allowing emotion to push freely through his syllables; his eyes opened a sliver, orange landing on the lifeless bird with a tenderness reserved for deep and unbridled sadness. A knowledge, a realization of a final time together.

"You were a constant, as the ever driving voice of Maji Walezi, you led us and cared for us when no one else could. You were devoted to us and the life blood that coursed through this cave like no one ever was. You were kind, fair, soft, and careful, and no matter what issue presented itself to us, you understood. There is no one in all the caves that could do for us what you have done, Bevy, and for that the caves have lost a wondrous soul. Yours was the greatest sacrifice." He breathed, lashes fluttering with the swell of tears. Another rock, and another, until they cradled her body. "May you rise above us and fly forever. Fly in the great and gentle winds of memory, in the eternity beyond this cave, on your lonesome journey into the unknown until we meet again." And we will see you there, in the unknown, where you will guide us ever more.

He squeezed his eyes shut again. He wanted so much to keep on talking, so say everything he could to the bird knowing that this would be the last time he would ever truly speak to her. He didn't want to accept that it was the end. Seconds dragged as he fought the deluge of emotion, then he opened his glossy eyes and leaned forward. A parting kiss, and then the final stone.

"Goodbye, Bevy."

He had averted his eyes, keeping them close to the ground, watching his paws. The others had slowly begun to filter in around the den, preparing to pay their respects and Bartos couldn't find the courage to look up at them. He was already met with his own great sadness, despite knowing little of the bird; it was betrayal, shock, and loss all festering inside of him. They all moved past him, gravitating towards Leon and the burial mound, except for Quintus. The lion had wandered to his side, and they were silent for a moment; he found himself thankful for Quintus' company, finding comfort in his companionship, even as he chuckled and spoke. There was a hollowness behind his words that made Bartos purse his lips, not in any ill feeling - it was more a bitterness towards this fate, this cruel, daunting situation that they had all found themselves in.

He didn't bother to lift his gaze from his paws. "I don't know, Quintus." The cat whispered, knitting his brows. "I imagine it must be lonely." It was a journey to be taken alone. Leaving behind the ones that loved you for the darkness closing in all around, or so he thought - but maybe it was more than that. Maybe it was entering a new realm, the same one that those you loved that had already died had gone to. And maybe they were there, ready to welcome you as you left behind the living. "Or maybe it's liberating." Bartos added with a sad, single laugh of his own, but his fallen shoulders and bowed head were enough to convey the deep melancholy that plagued him.

Bartos couldn't bring himself to say much more. Leon had begun his speech and he listened, though the bear's wrenching words moved his heart and he closed his eyes, trying to bite back the tears. He struggled with the emotions that were slowly rising and taking over, emotions that had drowned him, taking control of his ever rational mind. This was a curse. And once Leon had finished, Bartos opened his eyes to see the bird no more; she was hidden beneath the rocks, and he was both relieved that he had missed his chance to see her, and dismayed. She was gone now.

Hmph, his companion's reply would reach his ears but it seemed that Quintus did not have much of a response in mind to give Bartos. What else could he say? The lion would give his eyes a break from his paws and look on the cat's frame once more before he would eventually bring himself to look in front of himself. "Liberating, I hope it is for Bevy's sake." At the sound of his father's voice, the brute would once again look towards his paws out of fear that he might glance at his mentor's newly created grave. The words were filled with his sire's emotion and Quintus felt it, some of the words even managing to catch his attention despite his somber state. Beyond the cave? Perhaps that's where we go after death, Quintus's head would slowly move back up with a new look now etched in his face. One of immense anger, evident in the slitting of his eyes and the vicious lashing of his tail, "No such thing shall happen, not while Bevy's killer still roams these caves." The words would be whispered to himself but then again he did not mind if anyone else heard after all he was hoping that someone else felt the same way he did perhaps someone else would want revenge. Without any haste, the brute would rise from his haunches to leave the gathered group of Gembounds, I will get my revenge.

Baroque didn't say or do anything. His eyes were locked on his paws on the ground, as his father spoke of Bevy. He was cuddled up against his father's leg, his ears flat against his skull, but the tears were absent for the first time in a long while. He closed his eyes, listening to the kind and gentle words from his father, as the stone's memory pushed up into his paws and crawled up to his mind.

For once, the grizzly lion cub didn't fight the memories. There was a bird here, in this home, once. He recognized her bright, red and green eyes and her small size. The bird hopped around, shifting around different colored stones. The bird placed one by the entrance of the den, the white light outside blurry and hot from the edge of the memory. Baroque looked closer at the stone and found the smooth, flat pebble, with "MW" scratched into it. A shiver traced down his spine as a voice snapped out.

"Calypso?" The bird asked to no one, and no one replied. She was clutching a stone, one that the cub didn't recognize-- he had never seen such a marvelous stone. Slightly transparent, full of color on the inside... Baroque found himself nuzzling into his father's fur as the memory washed over him. He didn't want to interrupt his father, but the magic lingered across their bond, whispering to his father if the bear wished to join him. Was it wrong to look into the past? He didn't know, but he kept searching-- listening, waiting, watching.

The bird flinched at an absent reply. She tucked the stone away, under her, and Baroque shifted uncomfortably, his tail curling around his paws. "H-have you heard from Ratchet? He's just been real quiet lately," the bird peeped from beyond the grave, pausing again to wait for an answer. After a moment, her feathers puffed up and she croaked out, "Ratchie! Ratchie, are you okay?"

The cub felt his magic weakening, the memory fading out. The child didn't understand why the memories came to him, but as long as it wasn't darkness, he could handle them. As long as he didn't feel pain or cold or hear a screech, he could almost swallow the displaced sensation of the past washing over him.

"I'm going to try," Bevy spoke softly, words fading as the memory fizzled out. "Try to fix our mistakes."