What a beautiful stone.

It was azurite, and a nice specimen, too. It's deep indigo hues were the color of skies the caves had never seen, striped dizzyingly with different shades. The jagged cluster jutted out of a small clearing, and illuminated by crystalline stars. For a full cycle the stone sat in waiting, pulsing with a faint lifeforce as days came and went. But now, it was time to hatch.

The gem trembled. Cracks laced across it's surface, crystalline fluid seeping out with it. A leg pushed through, and then another, and another, and another, and another...

Oh.

Blue shards crumbled away to reveal a strange... creature... standing in the midst of Orion. Six gangly limbs jutted out at strange angles. Dark cloven hooves were at their ends-- well, four of them did. The middle pair seemed to lack feet entirely, nothing but thickened skin pegs keeping them up. Above it was a brown, barrel-chested body, and then a squat neck, and then two writhing tentacles dropping from his head. Something wet and sticky dribbled down from the stomach area-- was that spit? Sure enough, his beak was right smack in the middle of his body, hidden from view-- though all that newborn drool certainly gave it away.

Small brown eyes squeezed open as the hybrid gained awareness. His head raised up, and down, and to the sides. Someday in the future that tentacled face would be quite a shock to see, but for now it was large, squishy and babyish. He took a trembling step forward, and then another, before slowly prancing around in a large circle. No words came yet, nor magic, but those sienna eyes were alight with happiness nonetheless. He was alive.