ORIGIN

Ah, so the mood had improved a little. Mercurius spared a laugh, looking away to hide his shameless snickering. Of course, the situation became at least a hundred times better as the diamond cracked open and gave the world a child, which now preened for attention. The fawn-cub rose unsteadily, pushing himself from his cradle on shaking limbs. Mercurius's grooming stopped for a moment, leaning backward so that he could dive to support the child if need be. Arsu stepped closer, mewl-bleating and seeking warmth that the pale lion was happy to provide.

The pale beast was, least to say, immediately smitten.

A few moments passed, tender and gentle, before he began to worry. His gaze followed Pride's toward the moonstone, still unmarred despite its thinness. The babe that grew within had yet to make a motion, a sound, past the scraping. Even then, the scraping had fallen silent. "... is it alright?" The question slipped out of Mercy's mouth before he could stifle it, and worry rose like bile in his throat. No... the child must be. Magicka slipped toward his stone, hoping to create some sort of 'firefly' to at least see if the child, the other half, was still alive.

It drifted carefully toward the chrysalis, bobbing and dancing in the air as Mercurius's gaze did. It spun about the chrysalis once or twice before vanishing from sight. All the while, the gardener watched carefully for any sign of movement, any sign of life.

There was an odd sound next to him; Azizos, as he had come to think of himself in these past few seconds, blinked. He was still, however, content with his posture and his predicament. Light swelled into view, and he relished in it. It was warm like his home, his cradle. Another light, brighter still, danced about and he was forced to turn his head to watch it much like a cub would a laser pointer. Somewhat like how his closest kin had emerged, the babe accidentally through his chrysalis with a gentle crack! and wound up with his neck --- ruffed in just the beginnings of a mane --- and head free; and, as it turned out, upside down.

Feeling a cool rush of air invading his shell, Azizos shivered. Ears much too large for his head flickered back, and he bleated softly. The Morning Star's eyes, silvery and pale like his life-giver, sought out the 'firefly,' though, and he twisted in his cradle to see better, finding a different sight altogether. One that felt like warmth and home and as if he had always known them. May as well introduced himself. "Azizos." With a turn of his head, the little one found another that looked just like him, and he bleated eagerly and began to struggle to his feet. "Brother!"

Mercurius, quite honestly, had not expected such a swift and curious response from the gemstone. As soon as his light flitted away, a head emerged from the shimmering, milky-blue chrysalis --- be it upside down. The child was quick to correct himself, though, introducing himself as Azizos and bleating for his brother already. Slick and new, the babe attempted to rise up and approach Arsu. The pale lion hung back, slightly, allowing the first fawn-cub to rush forward and make for a playful headbutt and for Pride to dote on this one.

It was interesting to note that the children both looked damn near identical save for the slight difference in their eyes and their stones: both had blunt twists of moonstone and diamond, but Azizos's was a slight bit longer, thinner; Arsu's eyes reminded Mercurius of his own, moonlit and shimmering different colors in every light --- Azizos's were a silvery pale hue like his life-giver's. Regardless, they were wonderful and beautiful.

Mercurius set to work, mustering up a refreshing flush of magic for the children. Not that either seemed anything less than exuberant and healthy.

A large white thing stepped over to him, and then a scuffle of little hooves followed. The Morning Star twisted again, shifting and shivering as gemstone was peeled away from him. Grateful for the breathing room, Azizos managed to fully turn himself onto his stomach, so that he could begin to tuck his gangly limbs beneath himself. Bearings achieved and brother leaning in close, the fawn-cub bleated excitedly.

Silvery hooves clattered against the innards of his cradle, managing to gain some ground and pushing himself up. His head spun --- how was that possible? --- as he did so, unused to the sensation. He quivered unsteadily, but threw his head upwards, regardless. Azizos was going to headbutt his brother no matter what. If anyone looked at his tail, they'd spot it twitching and flopping about with unbridled joy. Little grunts escaped him as he continued to rub up on Arsu, playfully nipping and headbutting away already.

By the Caves, these children were bouncy and adorable. One had barely touched the other and sent him into a bout of excitement equivalent to a kid on a trampoline. Arsu, at one point, collided with the pale lion's side, startling him and making him stumble slightly. So, apparently, the twins were already much heavier than he had anticipated or prepared for. And, judging from the gentle nipping Azizos inflicted upon Arsu, at least one of them had a predatory instinct. Uh oh.

Mercurius would try to curb it, at least a little, when the time came. For now, it was harmless play. Plus, the children were newborns barely grasping the concept of words. As Pride began to speak to them, though, he suspected there was magic in the works. Both seemed to light up and be enraptured by the words, capturing their meaning in a way that couldn't be achieved without magic's aid. At the offer of being called Father, the pale lion seemed taken aback. A beat. He nodded wordlessly, gazing at the bouncy twins.

His confusion and thoughts were sated and confirmed by Pride, a quick explanation diffusing any questions he had. "Ah, I wish I could do that," he rumbled, "you may have to teach me how to touch the minds of others, someday." It seemed like a good field of study to pursue, at least. Already, Mercy could see into the past, albeit barely. His moonlit gaze flickered from twin to twin, a purr rolling from his throat, "yes, love. It seems you love your brother dearly, already." A smile turned his lips up, and he gazed warmly toward his companion.

"I believe, wholeheartedly, that everything is going to be just fine."

Azizos hurtled into his side, startling him again.

Azizos stopped in his game of chase-nip-bounce-headbutt-rinse-and-repeat in order to whirl about in place. He stumbled and twisted over his own limbs at the first concept of 'hello' manifesting in his mind, completely unbidden. The Morning Star was quick to figure out, though, that these thoughts were somehow coming from the big white creature with the many spikes on its head. From Pride, it seemed. The name didn't fit quite right on his tongue, though, as he tested it out. Provided an alternative, the fawn-cub eagerly took it, peering over to his --- "father?" Nodding to himself, he wavered toward said life-giver, repeating with confidence, "father!" Then, with a tilt of his head, he looked back toward Mercurius, bleating "father" again.

Growing more steady on his limbs and hearing his twin speak, Azizos hurtled toward him, parroting loudly, "love!" Bashing sideways into Mercy, he continued to approach his brother at full-speed; or, rather, close to it, given his relative newness to the world. About a foot away, the bouncy little fawn-cub slipped and tumbled head-over-heels. Nobody could ever say that the little one could be kept down, though; he immediately scrambled to his feet and eagerly bounced into Arsu with enough force to knock himself down. With a shrill laugh, the child twisted onto his stomach, giggling, "love you!"

The twins may as well have had some goat in them, given their kiddish behavior.