Within just a few short days of his birth, Phineas had dramatically developed. He was already a bit bigger, his feet already more certain of their steps. His language was improving drastically. Most importantly, he had become aware of his previously subconscious ability to manipulate his system for improvement. While he didn't fully understand just what he was doing, Phineas knew he could concentrate particles on any part of his body and cause it to tingle and feel warmer. He didn't understand the purpose of doing it yet, but it was something the young Gembound was sure to find out.

Today, he wandered away from Orion down yet another tunnel. It seemed that the crumbled city was connected to five or six different areas by various tunnels, and Phineas intended to fully explore each of them in time. This one was kinder than Tunnel M, with extra lighting and well-worn paths for him to follow. At some point he passed by a lichen-ridden carving, but being a newborn Gembound without the same curiosity as the others, he paid it almost no attention as he passed by.

Instead, his attention was snagged by a mouse struggling across the tunnel floor. A tiny gem protruded from between its ears like a spike. One of its hind legs was held awkwardly behind it and it was dragging itself along, as though the leg was broken. Normally, Phineas would seize it as an easy meal, but newfound curiosity got the better of him. He approached it, all the while concentrating on bringing that tingling sensation he could summon to his paws.

Phineas attempts to cast Fauna Cleanse.

The pad of his right forepaw tingled as though hundreds of invisible bugs was crawling on it. Phineas winced, being unfamiliar with the feeling, but then placed his paw rapidly over the mouse. It squeaked and struggled against him, fighting for freedom, but Phineas knew something was happening as the tingling faded. The bacteria were transferred from him to the mouse. Of course, bacteria could not fix a broken bone, so nothing appeared to happen, but the invisible bugs were at work, though not doing quite what Phineas hoped they would.

Pinned beneath the weight of the feline's paw, the mouse was struggling to escape. It only took the transference of bacteria to cause the mouse to stop, suddenly overwhelmed by a strange sensation. But the high number of bacteria - most likely foreign to the mouse's little body - overwhelmed the tiny rodent. Suddenly there was too much happening beneath its skin, and it squeaked and squirmed beneath the weight of Phineas' paw trying to free itself from the sensations. Before long, it's movements slowed; it eventually stopped completely, falling dead onto the floor.

Something was happening. The inexperienced Gembound could feel it, the slightest surge of power through his paw, and that tingling sensation like something crawling on him. He let his huge ears fall slightly back as he gazed at his foot, waiting for the miraculous recovery of the mouse underneath. It was squeaking and wriggling under his paw, and he took this to mean vitality, and lifted away his foot.

He caught only a glance of the creature convulsing before it went limp and life left its body. Eyes wide and horrified, the young Gembound stumbled back, away from his crime. His paw continued to tingle; the bacteria weren't done, not yet.

Helpful bacteria would be coaxed from the air and the feline's body, converging at the wound that lay on his paw. It would wriggle and bustle, rebuilding what it could and cleansing it of disease. The disease from the cave mouse had begun to spread across his foot, and perhaps another round of cleansing would be enough to clear it.