ORIGIN

Bartos had been trying to get out more often ever since Bevy died. He hadn't been as close to her as the rest of the Gembounds in Maji Walezi, but he still thought about her. The way she had smiled with her eyes, she seemed like she was always so ready to help, so kind and happy. So ready to take him in and nurse him back to health. She did everything she could for his leg, but it was twisted and broken for good. Even if the bone did heal, it wouldn't heal back in place like it had been before. It didn't matter, he was just grateful for the help. And now she was gone, and he felt like he owed it to her - her memory, her honor, or something like that - to be just as helpful.

He was still new in Maji Walezi, but he was getting the hang of the whole group dynamic. He learned what his role was - as a Coordinator, he was tasked with communicating with the group and the Gembounds that passed through the cave. It was a strange job considering Bartos hadn't any prior experience with really talking to others. He mostly just shrugged them off in favor of his studies, or led awkward conversations, with the exception of Clover, with whom conversations just seemed natural. And he thought about her when he tried to speak to others, tried to be as warm and open, but with Bevy's unexpected death, it was hard to get anybody in Maji Walezi to really open up. He tried, though.

At the end of the day, Bartos had limped back to the den he called his. There, the two citrine chrysali had grown into the wall, side by side. They were siblings, he'd decided. He watched them and tracked their progress, keeping notes on which crystals expanded and by how much. They were still there, gleaming in the diffused light that somehow wormed its way into the den despite the penumbra of its low roof. His muscles ached and his bum leg was on fire, the joints that tried to refuse almost constantly bending and shifting, making it difficult to really recover. He reclined onto his stomach before the twin chrysali, admiring them, every so often catching his reflection in one of their facets and averting his gaze. He wondered, and he remembered; and he wondered if they remembered too.

The cat closed his eyes. He moved towards them, inching along the ground until he sat with his head gently nestled in the crook that opened up between them. The memory began to flash back like a flickering, old movie reel, lights and sounds slowly filling in the empty space in his mind and the void that he had opened up for her. He knew the memory by now; much as he tried not to, he visited it often. Her gentle smile, the life and love that comprised her. The way that they had become one. This was the moment the two citrine shards had cleaved from her precious stone, and she laughed, and he purred, and they were never apart.

As the memory played, he reached out for her. In some way, he hoped that he reached out to her like in the memory, and he hoped that he could experience that feeling again. But the connection felt hollow. As he listened to her voice and felt her everything in time with his, he quietly spoke to her, a silent message meant only for her.

Clover, can you hear me?

A lot's happened since you've been gone. Leon told me about the last time he saw you. He was all burnt from fighting Hasira. He didn't get a chance to explain what happened, and you looked scared. He told me though. He said he was trying to protect the lion. The white lion, whoever he is. He's the new leader of Maji Walezi, too. They hold a meeting every four cycles to vote on who should lead them. ...But a terrible thing happened at the meeting, Clover.

You know Bevy? She ordained Leon and Makyna's wedding, the little bird with the kind voice. Do you remember her? ...She died a few days ago. Kerberos attacked her. She didn't make it... and now the owl, Dark, he's gone too. We had a funeral for her. Leon buried her beneath the rocks in her den and I made a memorial. It was... terrible, Clover. She was their friend. They'd all known her for so long, and then suddenly one day, she's just... gone.

I hope that never happens to you. I know you're out there, somewhere. You aren't gone. But you might be... some day... and I'm afraid of that.

You have a reason to come back, you know that? Those two shards of citrine you left behind, they're growing. Makyna told me they have life within them. It's strange to think... but I've warmed up to the idea. I've been talking to them every day, telling them stories, like you do. My stories aren't as good. I tell them all about you, hoping that when they emerge, they'll know who you are. I wonder if they'll love stories as much as you.

I want you to come back, Clover. I miss you. You know, I didn't really have anyone before. In Orion, everybody I made friends with eventually went away. Except for you. You kept coming back. Suddenly you were everything to me, and then just as quickly, he took you away. ...It hurts... Sometimes it feels like you're gone, like Bevy. But I know you aren't. It's still you out there, even if you're dark. Please... come back. Even if you're dark. I just want you back.

The memory began to flicker out, leaving Bartos in darkness. His brows knitted together, staving off the overwhelming sadness that had settled in its place. He remained close to the chrysali, as though warmth had seeped from them, but he knew that it was his own body heat leeching into their surface. He could make believe that it belonged to someone else, and hoped that no one else would find him there. Maybe, if he was lucky, he would sink into the shadows too.

It was so warm, so delightfully warm as he wriggled within his chrysalis. Not entirely comfortable, he kicked out with his back leg to try and reposition himself, only to punch a small hole through the surrounding capsule. There was a gentle clatter, as the shards began to peel away and fall to the ground below. More and more fragments gave away, as Jack's surprise at the emergence began to show with muffled yips through the albumen, he began to choke and his movements became more ragged and frantic.

With a bang, he burst out and flopped onto the ground, both ears folded over as with age, they would come to stand erect. Blinking the gunk from his eyes, he pushed both paws over his face and ran his tongue over his shoulder and flank a couple of times to clear it up. Still considerably sticky, the falls lay in the distance, as he wriggled and then waddled closer to the ponds that lay only a few feet in front of him. Bright orange chrysalis contrasted greatly with the blues and greens from the heavy foliage but he didn't notice how conspicuous his presence really was.

A yawn, and a stretch, the hunger reflex kicked in. Conflicting messages were firing in his brain as he progressed from staring at the small glittering fish in the water, to a batch of beautifully coloured daisies. Far more appealing than the idea of having to fish, get watery and kill whatever he found. In a swift movement, he chomped down hard on the flower petals and guzzled them as fast as he could to try and fill the ache in his belly...

Immediately, his body readily accepted what was pushed into it. It was in that moment he figured out exactly what he was. Some kind of herbivore. This revelation was enough to ground him as he figured out who he was. Jack. The Herbivore Dingo. Happy with this discovery, his tail began to wag as he bounded forwards into the unknown. This would be his world. All over the world he would spread his happiness and joy! As he came to pass Bartos' home, the unfamiliar scent saw his head and ears raise, as he swiveled on his paws. What was that odd smell?

Baro was getting over the crying thing.

Except he wasn't.

The thing was he was certainly trying, and that counted for something. Thistle and Nova and he were all trying to decide what to do and he was starting to feel emotional because he had failed to come up with anything to DO so instead, well, the grizzly lion did something in true fashion of his father.

"O-oh, um, I got an idea... Follow me!"

And then he just... Just... Walked off. Just straight on wandered off wherever not sure where he was going. He tried not to meander too much so he didn't give away the fact he didn't have any clue what he was doing-- and that was when he saw a brand new gembound sniffing in towards a very special den.

That den in particular Baroque knew belonged to none other than Bartos, an injured feline who lived here now and was sort of but not really family. Barry didn't really know the cat but he also didn't know the dingo and that got him if not curious than worried. Thistle and Nova and him could make sure that nothing bad happened to Bartos though, and that was a good, brave thing to do, right?

He always tried to be brave for Thistle. Sometimes it led to silly things like this, like harassing a cat with a well meaning snoop, but still.

"Um, hello there!" He called out to the dingo, tromping right on over. "Are you going to see Bartos?" The cub asked as loudly as possible, if only to give the kitty cat some warning. He was a polite little child after all!