It is cold, where she hatches. That is the first thing she knows. When the moonstone at last breaks open and a little tuft of reddish-brown fur first peeks into the world, it feels the chill of the air. And then, as beady black eyes move around to face out of the crack, she sees white.

Not like a white light, but rather the reflection in all the mirrors. White, everywhere. White crystal and white fungus, peppering every surface of the cave, consuming the mirrored walls and floors, and creeping over the edge of the chrysalis.

She does not panic, eyes moving to look down over the edge of the crack. More fungus, stretching like cobwebs, coating each and every surface, even the stone that she was still encased in. Curiosity burned at her, the first feeling, the first emotion. She wished to know it, what it was supposed to be.

The eyes disappeared as she shifted in her chrysalis, almost gingerly pressing against the walls. The cracks stretched up and around, climbing the gemstone surface, and then she bucked her head once, horn stubs connecting and utterly shattering the moonstone.

She bleated with surprise as the walls of her cage fell down around her, falling back on her hindquarters, and along with the falling crystal came a blanket of white spores that settled on her fur like snow. She sneezed as it raced up her nostrils and a gray tongue flicked out to taste the bit that had gotten on her lips. Kinda gross.

Now fully freed, she looked around the cave, eyes wide and blinking. A little confused. She was...alone, for now. She felt like that was wrong. Was she supposed to do anything? She was awake and alive, she knew that much. But beyond that...she was lost.

The first, gentle touches of a new mind, sliding across the outer web of Hivemind like a moth's wings, drew Mother's attention only gradually.

There were so many, after all--new Lessers, all the time, who consumed the mold of this place and soon succumbed, their eyes joined to the thousand others that Watched for her. But a thinking mind was rarer; too many now knew how to avoid her loving touch.

That, and the mind of a child was more difficult, at first, to differentiate. But when she realized what she had, she sent out two things at once: a tendril of emotion (love, reassurance, welcome) by way of chemical impulses in the child's own brain... and a pair of white-eyed Carollers to see just what treasure she had accidentally obtained.

The link would take some time to form, but what was there was, at once, a promise: a quiet, faint assurance that this child was not alone. And to that end, the two Carollers arrived moments later, in flutters of white-threaded wings, landing before Aegis and dipping their heads in twinned, perfectly-coordinated greeting.

Through their eyes, Mother looked Aegis over.

Large. Strong. This... would be a good child, she decided. Ahh--and here came the first touch of true words along the link.

"...child..." was all that would come through, with that surge of dishonest love.

@Aegis

The first blooming emotions unfurling in her mind was reassuring. Anxiety had been slowly racking up in the absence of company but now she was reassured. She wasn’t alone, she would never be alone.

And then came the two birds, who she assumed were the bearers of this emotion. Somehow, she knew that they were coming. Heads dipped in greeting, twinned, perfectly coordinated. That was nice, they were nice. Pretty little birds that had come to greet and welcome her and give her the company she so craved, perhaps, now, they would give her a purpose.

She let out a pleased snort and leaned forward to greet the birds back with a friendly sniff - they carried a strange smell on them, but she didn’t mind. perhaps that was heir natural scent.

The first word in her mind startled her a bit and her ears flicked up in her surprise. ”Huh?” She looked around, looking for the voice’s carrier before landing on the birds in front of her. ”Did you say that?”

Ahhh... this one held the gift of words so soon. Bubbling approval flickered along that fledgling link.

"...good child... clever child..." There was praise to the faltering language.

It would be time, yet, before this one could truly join the Hive mind--time for such a link to form. Yet, the birds could serve in her stead, for now. Obedient to her will, they turned: hopping a few yards off, and then looking over their shoulders.

Mother was uncertain if this one would eat flesh or fruit, but those with hooves that she had seen tended toward the latter. If she were wrong, the carollers could serve another purpose--but for now, they attempted the lead the way, in slow hops, to one of the few clusters of plant life in Gemini. It was but a small garden, even that swathed here and there by fungus--but Mother knew better than to take all of it over, not when her children yet lived and required sustenance.

The birds paused among the ferns and other foliage, pecking briefly at the green before turning to stare at Aegis in an eerie silence that was somehow both expectant, and wholly empty.

@Aegis

A veil of confusion swept over the child. Clever? Had she done something to earn such praise? She had only asked a question, which hadn't gone answered, from the birds or the voice in her head (although, to her, they were one and the same). The first bit of uncertainty crept in, although they were swiftly swept aside by the endorphins running through her system. It was fine. This was fine. She was loved.

The birds hopped off and Aegis followed, curious, still a little unsteady on her new legs. She hobbled after the birds, wondering if they were taking her to their home - but no, just to a patch of grass. She was confused, again. Was she supposed to do something with it?

She stared at the pecking, wholly oblivious to the eeriness of their mechanical movements and the utter silence, and bent forward to sniff at the grasses. She tentatively opened her mouth and grabbed a mouthful - earthy and light and satisfying a hunger she hadn't realized she had.

She grazed peacefully on the grass and leaves for a little while, thankful to the birds for leading her here and helping her. She leaned back when she was full, and turned to them, ears flicked up and a smile in her eyes. "Thank you," she grunted. "Who are you?"

This was a problem Mother had rarely encountered, and the distant queen had to think over it. As Aegis ate, she mulled it: she could not easily protect this calf from here, but nor would Ursa provide her all that much sustenance. Certainly not enough. Her attempts to communicate mostly went lost along the embryonic link, leaving her with--for now--only the birds to serve as rudimentary communication.

Hm.

Perhaps some of her children were available--somewhere--to tend this one, to teach her? She reached out, searching, sifting through those who remained awake, to see who might be close, might be available. Halcyon, or failing that, Jinyi--either might be a reassuring presence. Or Yellow, but that little one would hardly be able to defend this calf should Chaos arrive...

By the time the child had finished its first meal, Mother's basic plan was formed. Eridanis would be safer, with more cover and plenty of food--and plenty of Mother's children to look after her.

"...my children..." her voice rose, melodic but disjointed, in Aegis's mind. More strong was the feeling of solidarity: while the voice did not belong to the birds, the birds were nonetheless kin. "..llow them. Follow..."

Mother directed them to lead the child (in short glides and blank-eyed hops) to Eridanus--and to pause, should she need it, for rest. She would lead her, after all, the long way... avoiding Polaris and its potent, acidic magics and instead, travelling through Order-shrouded Canis and dim Orion beyond, where Aegis would find it easy enough to hide from any danger.

And in the meantime--she reached along that link, again seeking any who could meet the child there--en route, or in Eridanus--and guide her more appropriately.

@Aegis

She tried to work out why her questions were going unanswered. She tried to probe forward with her mind, a task she wasn't suited for nor an attempt that came of anything, but the disjointed words in her mind, the broken sentences clued her in. Whatever this connection was between them was weak. Perhaps it would grow stronger nearer to its source. Perhaps that was why the birds were trying to lead her away now.

Glancing back around the white-threaded crystal room one more time, she made to follow the birds, shuffling at first awkwardly, but then gaining strength as she got properly used to walking. She didn't know how long it would be, how far she would follow, but she felt that this was her purpose, at least for now. She had a goal in mind - make it to the end of the voice's trail. And perhaps there, she would find more.

*Exit