ORIGIN

He had been aware of many things. His eyes opened to stare into the seemingly endless void in front of him (when in reality, it stopped perhaps just an inch in front of his face), he could hear the footsteps of other creatures near by, though most - if not all - not stopping to pay any mind to the diamond prison he had been encased in.

He stretched - or tried to - the void he had been encased in didn't go very far. He had wondered, for a long time now, how long he would have to remain in this cramped space for. He shifted. His beak opened and then closed - he felt tiny pin-pricks dig into his tongue as he shut his beak again; quickly dismissed by the urge to break free.

He shifted. His wings sprawled out until they slammed against the blackened walls of the diamond chrysalis; once, twice, and a third time was all it took for the rock to crack and splinter, flooding light around the newborn gembound. He shifted once more, piercing the crack with his beak until the rock gave way and the potoo came tumbling out.

He was motionless now, huge eyes wide as they darted around the room. He lay in a puddle of fluids that were inside the chrysalis, panting quietly on his belly.

Off of the origin cave wall, a gray, semi-clear musgravite gemstone formation with three crystal peaks had fallen off some time ago into a forgotten and dusty pail-sized pool of dew condensed from the frigid primordial atmosphere. Over time, it grew, forgotten and quiet until it far dwarfed its puddle.

Perhaps it was simply Philip's time, perhaps the air vibrated ripples of exciting new life, or perhaps Philip simply hadn't wanted to be alone for any longer. His once happy home had rudely decided to expand no larger as he grew; the feeling of claustrophobia had been closing in for a while. Normally, he'd be too sleepy to care, but his energy was abounding and there was not enough room for him to play. His frustrated movements rocked his chrysalis in a manner suitable for a rave party, until at last it bowled over, hitting the ground. The newly compromised structural integrity was exactly what he needed. As there was no where else to apply his weight too, he pressed against his chrysalis, applying the Science unknowingly. Fractures graced the surface which became cracks, pits, and tears.

Soon enough, he found himself sitting on his paws and tail, in that very same puddle he had grown up in. The light of the cave was brighter than what he was used to and he blinked. Like the moment an exam is over and all learned knowledge disintegrates immediately, all thoughts of the hatching struggle were gone ; all that remained was him panting from the exertion.

He looked about with unfocused eyes and immediately honed in on the movement of a rising and falling chest. His ears perked and his tail wagged something horrendous. But being beneath him, only his butt could wag, and it did so with enough propensity to knock him over completely.

Philip was not a bright man, but he knew when he wanted something even if he didn't know what it was that he wanted. On this particular occasion, he knew both, and he tested his tongue. "PLAY", he barked, the sound echoing along the damp subterranean walls.

Pestilence

Philip