finale - Printable Version

As much as they tried, he wasn't fast enough to reach the escaping tiger. Ah- well. Couldn't win them all, and she was bound to be converted right when she emerged, anyways.

'I think it's over,' he supplied to Lamia, stopping beside the chrysalis that'd formed. 'Someone- bring Mother her daughter.' It made no difference if he spoke or thought- either way, his words would be heard.

Grief would be sticking him to the spot if it weren't for Mother's presence. She was what mattered here. It was sad, of course, to lose such a good sister, but what was done was done. He didn't do much- he couldn't fight, couldn't pick up Reji, but he clambered on top of Orlaith's chrysalis to come to eye-height with the others.

'We did well, considering who we were up against. Thank you, everyone.' he gave regards to the others, his tail flicking. Tethys and Orlaith would be valuable assets and wonderful family members, he knew.

What now, though? He still had the cluster in his mouth. He let out a soft snort before hopping down off of his platform to wiggle in what used to be Reji's den, returning the piece of Mother back to its resting place.

"Bring her to the entrance, I can pull her in," he explained to the others when his head popped out of the home.

It still smelled like her.

Mother's voice was soft, almost distant, as if sad. It addressed Zelk, and then the whole: "Thank you, child. Please someone bring Reji the rest of the way to me, so that she may rejoin with her Mother in death."

"We apologize for the pain... we wished to do this... peacefully. I would have words with your Queen--" and here, an image of Tethys flicked through all their minds--"in a moment." Aquamarine's worries were easy enough to read, and Mother considered. "This child is right--good, child. Bring a portion of me to the chrysalis, and feed it. I will spread quickly. When it is covered, then place sticks, leaves, dirt... bury me with the tigress, and when she awakes, she will know not that I am there and will breathe me, eat me, become me... She will join us. But do not leave her unguarded." This last warning was dire, and came with three flashing images: Sergei, Azrael, and Zelk. The meaning was clear: one of the larger, faster Gembound was to be present at all times.

"You have all done well... Do not hold anger against our new brethren. Change... is always painful. And more change will soon come. Welcome them..."

There was a long pause while activity occurred, and all the while, Mother's presence in the backs of their minds, along with their shared thoughts, emotions. Her existence was warm, soothing, reassuring them that although the struggle had been terrible, it would be, in the end, for the best. There was a greatness they were bringing into being: a force of change, of good, to sweep through the caves. And they were its harbingers.

"Tethys," Mother began, at last. "Many of our family are wondrous creatures who fight to survive, and fight well. But we have never had a leader, before. You are a Queen, you say; you have led a Kingdom. I have a task for all of you. But when others come, as they will, I wish Tethys to be the Queen: to present our face, and greet our guests, and make choices for us all..." Of course, Mother would always know best--but it was unsaid that a Queen among them could only be a good thing; and her admiration for Tethys' qualities spread through them all. "You fought well, but we promised you knowledge, and knowledge you shall have."

Flashes of imagery were like fire: beginning in small, flickering embers, roaring to usurp, in bright conflagration, all the linked Gembounds' thoughts. They were, perhaps, Reji's memories--all that was left of her, now; or perhaps memories of other Gembound from ages past, or all of them, together. There was a dark place, alien creatures cowering, pulling the bones of the dead to provide shelter: they hid among them, and other, stronger creatures stalked between, grinning and killing. There were monsters in the dark--vast and leering, many-fanged and glowing-eyed. A dark laughter pervaded the Caves, and the Spire gleamed an oily, sinister black, unsettling hues flowing over its surface. A total sensation of despair, of inescapable fear, of dead-eyed desperation, flowed through it all, and above it stood the Masters: some of them vague, some bright and clear, gloating. Nemean buzzed there, larger-than-life, her grin one of pure malice. Raheerah arched his neck, the blood of victims flowing from his fangs. And Aquarian was there, too, slithering and ominous, beneath black water, hunting sentient prey that had strayed too far into his domain...

The images slowly faded, and Mother's voice slipped in once more. "Cruelty. Chaos. For the sake of power. We will stop it: together.

"Lamia, and Legion... you are good children. You care for Mother and feed her, and you go to places others cannot go. You are my scouts of water and sea, and I hold you beloved.

"Sergei, Azrael, and Zelk: you are my powerful children, protectors, guardians, who will keep your brothers and sisters safe. You are my sentinels, and I hold you beloved.

"Tethys, you are wise, and powerful, and you seek the best for your people, and you seek wisdom. You are our Queen, and I hold you beloved.

"Aquamarine, you are but a child, but you are bright, and curious, and kind; you are our kindred, and I hold you beloved.

"Pallas, you tend me and look after me, and in all things for your family's well-being, you are as a father. You fret for our safety, and you are our champion, and my good son, and I hold you beloved."

The chrysalis growing over the tiger's body forced Azrael to step away from it. He snarled with frustration. He had no idea what the tiger meant by her last cry before she was encased in the stone, but it didn't matter. They couldn't get at her now. Well, they could - he could definitely try punching the stone to see if it broke or find some other way to break in, but, well, that probably wouldn't happen.

Instead, he snorted and stood, turning towards the cave. Mother was speaking now, and he listened, staring at the ground. Now that the fight was over, and the adrenaline was slowly leaving his body, the guilt was returning in full force. He crouched before Mother, where Sergei had set down Reji, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to mourn.

His eyes snapped open, however, when Mother announced Tethys as their new Queen. "What?" he snarled impulsively. Why choose Tethys, the one who'd killed Reji? Who'd defied Mother so fiercely to the very end? He opened his mouth to protest, but he stopped himself. What was he thinking? Was he saying that he didn't trust Mother's judgement? That he didn't want to listen to her, and was instead holding a grudge that had no purpose anymore?

He looked out at the seal. She was his sister now, as Reji had been his sister before. He was still angry with her, furious beyond belief, but it would be sapped away, in time. "Sorry. Fine. Tethys is the Queen then."

The images Mother showed him, and the affirmations she gave to each of her children helped with deflating his rage. Azrael let out a rumbling sigh and sat himself down. "Mother. The big snake one lives here. The Children of Rot see him as their father. Does this make them the enemy as well? Should I protect you from them?"

Eventually, Lamia was able to pull herself back to where the rest of the children were gathered, now quite thoroughly covered in mud. The love Mother held for them all washed away what sadness remained over Reji's death as she took solace in the knowledge that Reji had been brave and loyal and was now one with Mother in death.

The affirmation given to her and Legion sent a stream of unexpected warmth through Lamia's veins. She had always doubted that she could be of use to Mother - after all, she could never truly be with her forever without retreating to the water and much of what happened with the hive happened on land. She had been close to useless in the fight, merely throwing around ice and fleeing when her time was up. But Mother told her that she was useful, that she could do something for her family. And her heart soared with that love. She felt similar feelings resonating from Sergei and that made the moment all the more powerful.

The moment slowly ended as she brought back the images Mother had shown them and began to think about what she'd seen. She tried to remember if she'd ever met them before - besides Aquarian, of course. Were these the Masters that Tenzin had told her about long ago? She had always imagined them to be as Tenzin had been - benevolent, kind, protective of their children, but these...no, they were cruel. Monsters. But that begged the question. Was Tenzin like this as well or was what he'd shown her as a child all just an act?

"Mother, I have a question," she asked through the link. "Do you...do you have memories of Tenzin? Was he as cruel as all the others?"

Pallas side-stepped as Reji's body came his way, ears back in a brief act of mourning as she passed. He had been hit by the tiger- and as the adrenaline ebbed, the pain blossomed slightly.

It wasn't anything he couldn't deal with, but he still hissed mentally as it flared without much change in his outward expression. Instead, he moved as Reji was placed by Mother and tended to her that way. A cluster was brought before her mangled face, and strands were pushed to curl about her, and he blinked back tears as Mother relieved them all.

Anger would not become them. Tethys was a part of the family, as Orlaith would be.

His body idly pressed at Mother and helped her spread to Reji's blue pelt as the memories flooded through him. Monsters- dark beings, Masters. His teeth grit and lips pulled back for a moment in response, residual rage flaring up for those who threatened to take down his family.

He was just a linsang- but Mother began her praises, and his form straightened in pride. From where he was, he pressed his skull against Mother's growth, careful to not break any of her before following Sergei out.

He felt it as much as the others did. Love. A feeling he thought he'd never experience, one he pushed aside while he was young and foolish. Here, as he dragged himself out from under the roots, his impressions of eyebrows drawing together when questions came for Mother.

As for Tenzin, he didn't recognize, the name, but he thought on Aquarian. They didn't know the Hive's intentions. They didn't have reason to- not yet.

He let the others do the talking for once as he made his way to the remnants of ice that held Tethys to pull mud over the bloodstain that'd been left from Reji. A single shard of gem laid on the ground, shimmering, and he pulled it on top of the mound he made.

His first thought was to create a cairn, but he feared for what would come if they recognized it. Perhaps he should just bury her magic along with her body.

For the first time in a while, he was at a loss of what to do.