ORIGIN

For eons, the Spire had stood, a powerful landmark overlooking the cavernous room that was Polaris. From it, all of the magicka of the Caves had come. In a way, the crystalline precipice was perhaps the source of all life blessed to the Gembounds of Origin Caves. A rather new addition (compared to its age, anyways) to the area the Spire occupied was an obsidian stone, one that had existed for many cycles now—nearly seven, to be exact. Within, a creature had been festering, waiting. Curled up within their wings, the soon-to-be had been waiting.

Waiting for the perfect moment to emerge. None had come to investigate their presence. None had even bothered to think about them. They seemed to be nothing... yet, they felt like they were everything in this tiny world they owned. Perhaps it was not so bad, after all. The low hum of the distant Spire was all they needed to fill their tiny ears, as well as the sounds of the membranes and fluids they were suspended in. They didn't need anything else.

Yet... perhaps they did. This wasn't enough. The warm embrace of her shell was not enough. She desired more. She wanted more. A chrysalis was not alive. It lacked the beating heart that she was sure she had. Absently, one of her paws shifted to her chest, pressing it to it. Surely enough, there was a heartbeat. The sound was soothing. Slowly, her tawny eyes opened. There was more than this chrysalis she had been hiding in for ages. Wings stretching, they found that they were limited to the walls of their shell. Foreign fluids seeped into her lungs as she inhaled. The combination of both things drove the amalgamation into a furious panic as she flailed her limbs.

When that seemed to not work, the neonate gave up. The very stone that gave her life, however, did not. It refused. A small glow surrounded her, illuminating the darkness of her igneous home. Then... there was light, and cold. Gasping for air, the hybrid slid out of her now shattered shell as smithreens flew every which way. At the moment, her young lungs outright rejected air, for they were full of fluid. Hacking and wheezing, she felt it all slide out and anything she may have had in her stomach. Curling up in the remains of her chrysalis, she gave a long whine for anyone who may be out there. To try and keep warm, her wings enveloped her, forming an awkward donut of leathery wings and cub-puppy fluff.

For a moment, there was silence, as if the caves had hushed themselves to herald the emergence of a new being. Only the softest of footfalls alerted her to the approach of something. Paws slid beneath her tiny and shivering form, cupping her easily in both and bringing her towards warmth. Immediately, the neonate tucked in her wings and nuzzled the warm chest that she was now cradled against. The sensation of a tongue running over her fur and cleaning her of residual goo from the chrysalis further brought warmth to her and caused her to snuggle deeply into who was holding her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Outside of the eyesore that was the Spire's glow, she saw one thing that stuck out. Something that was clearly important. Tawny gold eyes glanced up into the intense yellow gaze of someone else. Someone like her. For a moment, she stared. Hearing his rumbling voice, everything clicked within her head. She just knew. She knew him.

Spreading out all of her digits on her forelegs, she pawed at Damian's fur, squeaking in delight. At first, it was incoherent blabber, but then she began to catch onto the art of speech. "Da... da... daaaaaaa." Pawing at Damian's chest again, she paused and took on a very serious face as she focused her best. "Dad... dy. Daddy!" Quickly, she peered up at her father, clearly proud of herself.