Huckleberry waited for Rift's response with bated breath and hollow disappointment filled his stomach when he got his answer, as well as a sense of desperation and loneliness. He could not go back to his family, especially not now, but he also could not find a home here, where it would be safe. He curled up around Shiny and blocked out everything else.

For a little while he stayed curled around his friend, his only friend, barely listening to the outside world when a little prod from the cat got him to at least lift an ear to listen to what was happening. Huckle-friend, they are deciding what to do with us. What to do with me, he replied hollowly. They won't do anything to you. At least he dearly hoped they wouldn't.

It at least came as a minor relief that they weren't planning on killing him and he had no problem promising to never be violent, but the thought of taking berry out of his name...it threw him into a sudden panic.

He burst out of his position and threw himself against the bars again, Shiny letting out a tiny squeal of protest. "No, no please! I don't want to change my name! I'm Huckleberry I don't want to change my name! I promise I won't ever be mean or hurt anyone! Just please, please don't make me change my name!" It felt wrong to be called anything except for Huckleberry. Shiny called him Huckle-friend yes, but that was Shiny. No, no, even if they made him change his name he would be Huckleberry. Affiliation to his family didn't change that. It would never change that.

@Cloudberry

Two things had warred within Cloudberry for the last few minutes--terror, and disgust. Fear for what might happen to her battled chaotically in her gut with absolute disdain for Huckleberry. He was weak, simpering and whining and frantic, totally useless to anyone. Abruptly, this disgust flourished into hatred, bubbling out and pushing back any semblance of fear that remained.

It was lashing out; it was a lack of control brought on by circumstances well beyond her. She was helpless. She could do nothing. She bit back, and Huckleberry with his crying just happened to be the target.

"Shut UP!" she snapped at last, and for a moment the world around her seemed to tremble and roar with her rage. None of this was fair. Her whole life had been a brief horror: daughter to a family of killers, and this had never made sense, and now captive to those who would judge her for the only life she had ever known. She'd never enjoyed it. She'd never enjoyed anything. There was nothing she wanted. She had no hope for any better future, for she knew no good in this world. She just... she just wanted... "I just want you to SHUT UP!" She rounded on Huckleberry, the hatred in her blue eyes glowing. And out it came, a flood of emotion long too-pent-up.

"You're WEAK, and you've always been weak! Why did we follow along with what Mother said?! I thought there was no other way! No one CARES if you're afraid, we're all afraid, SHUT UP!" As she spoke (and her arguments were jumbled, one thought clearly unrelated to the next), her clawed wings battered at her cage bars, as if she wanted nothing more than to get to her "brother" and rip at his skin. "Stop WHINING and crying and just SHUT UP!" Her voice had reached a screech she'd never touched before. She didn't know what else to say, didn't know what else she wanted; she just knew that she didn't want to be here. Her clawing turned into frantic battering of wings against the bars, her blue eyes wild with hate, her strange beak-face curled into a snarl.

"You're all--LIARS--EVERYTHING IS LIES--JUST LET ME GO--" Her ranting went on and on, growing higher and more hysterical by the moment, unless someone had a way to stop her.

@Yewberry

The hybrid shivered, grateful beyond belief that the lion had stayed. She pressed her side against the crystal cage, trying to get as close to Mercurius as she could. Yewberry longed for a kind touch, even just a brushing of fur against feathers.

'I don't understand you,' she thought as she listened to Mercurius. He was so different from what she knew, Mother's opposite. Cat where Mother was Dog, light where Mother was dark. Kind, where Mother was cruel. Why was he speaking up in her defense?

And the deer, too, was coming to their defense. The war... the battle... it was nothing but a blur, a flash of pain and blood followed by blackness, but she could remember the give of tawny flesh beneath her beak, and blood on her tongue - she heaved, stomach churning, and bile splattered the grass. Why, why did that feel so wrong? But the thought of blood on her tongue... in her stomach... she retched again, eyes watering. She found herself unable to look at the antellope without remembering the give of her flesh, and so focused on the speaking puma.

Ice cold fear trickled down her spine - they would vote to kill them, surely. If it were Mother, Grandmother, her family, they would be slaves or made dead, and in the end all Gembounds were like them - no matter how pretty they tried to be.

The little lion cub spoke loudly, claiming that they were to live. And she wanted to scoff - pretty words, that was all she wanted? What was to keep them from returning home after being set free, and hurting others - even if the thought churned her stomach. And the stag - oh? She had been certain the stag would wish them dead. But, no, he wanted them to live under them, to lose their 'berry' and to learn beneath him.

And it was only when he began to speak that she noticed the bird-dog, similar to her but very different. Kind, dark in color, in appearance he was not unlike Mother, but she could see very little of Mother in him. She licked her beak nervously, tasting bile. And she agreed with what he said - "Want - she blurted, interrupting him, "Want t-to, to lee-learn." She shook herself, wishing desperately to have her words come out as she wished. "To he-help. Don-don't wan-aaant to fi-ight an-anymore."

But then... then Huckleberry was screaming. Her eyes widened, and she cowered, pressing her side against the cage nearest to Mercurius, listening to him babble. He didn't want to change his name - and she could understand why. It was... it was part of them. But - but if 'them' was hurting and blood and killing, did she want to keep that part of her name.

Terror boiled in her chest, Cloudberry beginning to rage in a truly horrible way. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she slunk to the ground, stomach pressing to the ground, side shoved against the crystal side of her prison in an attempt to get as far away from Cloudberry as she could, feathers flattening against her to make her appear as small as possible. "NonononononononostopstopstopstopstOPSTOPSTOPSTOP!"

Brothers aren't simply close,

The Panther listened, too, to the hybrids stuttering and stumbling words, idly wondering what had happened to cause that. Had he done something, destroyed something vital when he bit the back of her skull? Severed something necessary for communication while snapping her neck?

Was he really the monster that he thought himself to be?

Mercurius - the antlered lion - offered to guide them, and Sebastian chewed his tongue, tasting blood. He contemplated offering the same but... there was nothing he could teach them that they didn't know. He knew destruction, pain, betrayal. He could teach them nothing good, only further what they would attempt to stamp out.

He listened to Enka's words, more spirited than he had ever known her to be. 'Good girl,' he thought proudly, glad to see her standing up for her morals.

His brother, he was relieved to see, denied the moose's plea to join them, and he twitched his tail approvingly. They were given a few options to choose from, although he was certain that Rift would listen to any other solutions that would be proposed.

The panther listened, first, to the white cub who he wanted nothing more than to pull to the Tree, away from the cages with the dangerous Gembounds. But he didn't, instead waiting for her to vote. She decided they needed to remove the 'berry' from their names, and promise not to harm. He wrapped his tail around his legs, furrowing his brow. Words were words, they needed actions. And Pride... Pride agreed with the cub, thinking that they should be kept in the Kingdom for a time. Oliver thought they should teach them, get them to heal instead of kill.

"I think," he rasped, rolling the words over in his head, "we should not simply release them into the Caves. Neither should we simply accept a promise of peace from them. Words are words - what will keep them from running straight back to Blackberry and causing more chaos?" he winced, clearing his throat as it protested so many words, "I think they should be kept in Eridanus for the time being, take lessons under anyone who wishes to teach them. Not forever, of course, but they should not be released until they have proven themselves to not be a threat."

and then he looked to Huckleberry, frowning thoughtfully, tilting his head. "Perhaps, for those of them that wish to join the Kingdom, we could take them on for a... trial period, of sorts? Once they have proven themselves to not be a threat, then they could start their," he cleared his throat, coughing quietly, "trial period. Learn the ropes, and only become a full-fledged member once they have done... something. Something to prove that they are truly new Gembounds, worthy of being trusted."

Already, his mind raced as he tried to think of what they could do to prove themselves.

And then the hybrids began to scream, and to yell at one another, and his ears flattened against the noise. Snarling in frustration, he felt his Gem begin to gleam, and tilted his head back. Aiming carefully, well above their heads and far away from anything flammable, he breathed a gout of flame. His stomach churned, and it took everything he had not to turn tail and flee at the sight of it - 'monstermonstermonster' but he had no other way to draw their attention away. Cutting off the gout of flame, he raised his voice, eyes watering at the burn, and gasped "ENOUGH!" before breaking down into a fit of coughs.

@Mercurius

brothers are knit together

Rift brought up many ideas: continued keeping as prisoners, banishment, death (Mercurius recoiled physically at that one, not because of the tiny hybrid at his side throwing up all over the grass.) The old storyteller had already said his piece, and simply sat with a slight lean against the nearest cage. His trust had not been misplaced, as the frightened child within pressed up against his flank. Oliver was at his side, as well, finding security in his presence. Mercurius, of course, didn't shy away and regarded the crow-dog with a warm smile and nod of his head.

Those present began to speak, unwilling to offer a death penalty or execution of any sort. Keeping the Bloodberries present in Eridanus seemed to be a unanimous decision and --- with backing from Pride and Oliver --- they would be placed in the care of the group's members. Mercurius, for one, was open to having these children beneath his tutelage.

Lesson one: words over violence and peaceful confrontation over violence. His magic worked in a manner similar to how it had before, vines churning to his will and approaching each Bloodberry. They fell short, unfortunately. Within a few seconds, the plants fell still and made no difference. Fire arced through the air, causing a surprised woof! to escape him. Perhaps that will have grabbed their attention, Mercy pondered uselessly, aware that it had spooked him out of his wits.

With a deep sigh, hopefully after the children had quieted down, he offered, "shouting and struggling to get at one another will not help you, young ones. Did you hear what I told this one, here?" He tilted his head toward Yewberry, indicating. "Breathe until your lungs may burst and ground yourself. Be patient and listen."

@Enka

At first the group went around, taking turns to speak. But the discussions were quickly breaking down as voices rode over the next. It didn’t help that those in the cages were beginning to cry and yell. They were growing louder and louder, more emotional with each word. Enka shut her eyes, pinning her ears down to try to keep them out. Then a burst of fire appeared overhead, the scent travelling to her sensitive nose.

And at once, she was lost. Visions of Sebastian with two missing eyes. Rift with wounds all over his body. Shadowy figures, black except for the color of blood washed over them, laughing gleefully. Her mind was locked back into the horrors of the terror filled hallucinations she had seen before. She couldn’t shut her eyes out from it, couldn’t shut her eyes. Rift! Sebastian!

She cried out, springing into the air in her characteristic pronk at all the excitement. The movement was instinctual, yes, but also saving. As her hooves planted onto the ground once more her mind returned to the present. Her breathing came heavily, trying to shake the thoughts – memories? – away.

It was just in time to see the adult lion, the one with horns and a gentle cadence, speak to the hybrids. He said to breath. Closing her eyes, she too began to try to follow his advice. It was terrifying to be so out of control like that. The visions had appeared from nowhere. Her body shook terribly, her new mane falling into disarray.

Then a strange thing occurred. As she breathed, her horn began to shimmer. The strange greens and creamy veins of the moss agate appeared to almost move by a strange illusion of it’s illuminance. But that was not the strange part. Softly at first, but growing loud, a strange melody began to play. Enka opened her eyes. It had been cycles since she had used the spell, or even thought of it really. Yet her body knew what was needed; her magic need what course to take. The crystal sang out gently for the gathered group to hear in a beautifully soothing tone that cut across the noise around them.

---

Speech
Thoughts

Tags: @Rift
Notes:

Rift listened to everyone's opinions with slitted eyes and his tail thumping thoughtfully. He wasn't quite prepared for the onslaught of screeching that the hybrids all of a sudden started. Huckleberry was the first and his crying to keep his name started Rift but he wasn't quite prepared for Cloudberry's outburst. Yewberry's only made it worse and Rift found it increasingly more difficult to stay grounded in the present as the crying and screaming overwhelmed his senses. He stiffened as a blaze of fire roared overhead, tossing him right back into his memories of the battle. His fur stood on end and his eyes wide and glazed. His body began to tremble as he relived it, all of it, all of the screaming and crying, the fire the blood, the smell of death and hatred heavy in the air, the scattering of chrysalis as his friends lay in coma, their lives weak, weakening, gone.

Nothing had changed.

It was Enka's song that brought him back to reality but it was so sudden that he found himself reacting without thinking. His lips curled and his eyes blazed. "ENOUGH," he roared as he raised a paw and brought it heavily into the earth. While it didn't make an audible sound, a moment later vines streamed into the ground and erupted at the feet of each of the Bloodberry children, wrapping themselves tightly around each of their muzzles to cut off their screeching so that the forest would fall silent once again.

A moment later he was fully back and he realized that he could be hurting them so he lessened his grip, enough so that it wouldn't be painful but still tight enough that they would not be able to speak and cry so easily.

He stood up rather awkwardly and hobbled forward, shaking out his pelt to try and cover up the moment. "Thank you all for your input," he started, trying to force his voice back to the gentle, firm tone it had held before. "I think...I think we can agree to keep them around, then. Perhaps as mere citizens of the Kingdom. Not prisoners, but guests in our care." He nodded towards Mercurius. "Will you take charge of them? Oliver can help you as well, watch after them, care for them, and teach them the ways of peace. I...I have no right to do it myself." His voice grew somber for a moment and his eyes closed, as if he were mourning something precious.

He turned back to the hybrids, now fully releasing the vines that wrapped around their muzzles. "Please do not scream again. If your names mean so much to you, if you cannot live without the berry in your name, then I will not force you to change it. However, if you are ready to take the first step away from your family, away from the violence and the hatred, then it is a good first step and I urge you to take it."

@Atinneas

Pride flinched heavily at all the shouting, the screaming, the flashing of magic. His ears flicked back, pinning, his head twisting back as he tried to shut it out. How terribly uncouth.

At Rift's decision, he nodded once.

"You have my aid, where you wish it; I will ask if my King is willing to meet with you, and when. Might I suggest using some sort of magic to ensure they can be tracked, if you have it? They might flee." He fixed Huckleberry with a cold, aloof stare, trying to ignore the vines entrapping the Berries' jaws.

At the screaming, the shouting, Oliver scrambled away again in a rush. He was back in the bushes before he could even think--an instinctual flash of motion. He cowered there, now out of sight in the shaded foliage. He covered his ears at the tormented sound, and moreso when he saw the blast of fire, the twist of plants coming up to snare the -Berries.

He looked away, and did not speak, unable to think straight past the lash of dark memories and the racing of his heart.
{Table code credit to Madison, altered a bit!}

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry continued to screech incoherently until Cloudberry's voice touched his ears. His voice was cut off immediately and he turned towards her, eyes widening as she yelled at him. She called him weak, she called him loud. She said she didn't care.

She hated him.

The life drained from his eyes and even when Rift's vines burst from the ground, clamping around his muzzle, he didn't move. The hybrid that had been so animated and loud before had become still and silent with horror. He stared at Cloudberry...at his daughter and slowly fell to the ground. He looked away from her, tears brimming in his eyes as Shiny pressed against his side. But her presence did not reassure him.

He didn't see Pride's glare. He didn't hear any words. All that he could hear were Cloudberry's words ringing in his ears. She hated him. He had failed her. He had failed everyone. "I won't change my name," he whispered hoarsely through the muzzle, but he said no more.

@Cloudberry