Sprig had been going through states of nervousness and excitement leading up to this day. The chrysalises were due to hatch anytime now. He had channeled his energy into growing coconut trees and another delicious fruit plants in the area, sheltering the chrysalises and also providing a source of food if it was needed. It wasn't like he had no experience with being a parent at all, but this still felt different than last time. The magnesite had grown from just a tiny fragment of his own stone into something that now held life. It was amazing to think about sometimes. And there was Cadenza's stone, obsidian, which had grown similarly.

He couldn't wait to meet their children, wondering if they would take more after him or Cadenza in appearance. Sprig hoped they looked like Cadenza, the beautiful dragon who still seemed to take his breath away every time he saw them. The lion paced back and forth around the chrysalises. It was almost time now. Oh god oh god, was he ready for this?

@Cadenza
@Thyme
@Asira

As the first wisps of consciousness entered her mind, Asira slowly became aware of the sensation of being alive. Uncomfortable gemstone walls pressed in on her from all sides, preventing her from spreading her wings, from fully stretching out her legs. She did not like that. And she wondered what it was that lay beyond. A thrust of a hind leg, and a crack spread throughout the magnesite. Another thrust, and the chrysalis shattered apart all at once, leaving her out in the open. Air hit her from all sides. Air that filled her lungs but also seemed to press at her and sap at her warmth.

Sprig's attention snapped to the magnesite the moment he heard the cracking sound. He wasn't ready for this he wasn't ready- "CADENZA! IT'S HAPPENING! CADENZAAAA!" It was completely out of character for the lion to yell, but something a combination of all the built up energy being released at once and amplified his emotions and hit him harder than ever before. Sprig didn't want Cadenza to miss this!

By the time he turned to look back at the chrysalis, the freshly hatched gembound had already broken through completely. He immediately grabbed some larger leaves from some plants he had grown and draped them over the child so as to keep them warm. They also had some drying properties which would be useful as well.

@Cadenza

Sprig was not the sort of gembound to shout generally, so when Cadenza heard a loud yell of their name from the voice of Sprig while on their flight, they swiftly changed directions in the air and headed back, all before registering what the words Sprig had said were.

And then the words registered, and Cadenza picked up the pace, diving down near the chrysalis site and banking in time to hit the ground gently. Their gaze immediately fell upon the Sprig-shaped child that possessed their wings and both of their colorations. "Oh," They exhaled, awed. It was the one with Sprig's stone and their magic, judging from the antler.

"She is beautiful," Cadenza spoke softly in musical tones, moving closer but giving the child space still, then they noticed that the child looked cold.

Perhaps...

The air warmed a little around the child, not a lot but maybe it would be enough.

@Thyme

With a press of a paw on the walls of her obsidian cage, a second cub stumbled forwards, catching herself on her strange forelimbs. With a few bleary blinks, she cleared her amber-light eyes of the alien fluid, gazing upwards at two towering silhouettes.

The ground felt warm.

mrrr - aow! She greeted, her little voice cracking. Mraow! She tried again, little eyes still fixed on the larger beasts. She scooted forwards, dragging herself with her front legs, awaiting a response [and some much needed attention!]

@Sprig

As the leaf was draped over her followed by the air around her warming a few degrees, Asira stopped shivering to look upon the two large gembounds before her. It was then that she saw Thyme emerge from the obsidian chrysalis. It was a bit overwhelming to go from feeling barely anything at all to suddenly having so many things to see and to feel. The grass underfoot was soft, the air was crisp, the area was green with plants, and the gembounds were all colorful.

She managed to pull herself into a standing position, steadying herself before stumble walking in the same direction as her sibling- towards Sprig and Cadenza.

Sprig felt his nerves calm as Cadenza arrived. He bumped his head affectionately against the dragon for a moment before looking back upon the child again with a smile. "She's as beautiful as you." he could already feel his heart overflowing with love, and watched with amazement as the second child emerged as well. This one... looked a lot like him. The obsidian gemstone gave away the plant magic she would have. Sprig moved to drape a large leaf over Thyme as well, in case she was cold. His mind was already running with ideas, filled with plans for what they could do. Would they want to learn magic? Gardening? Cooking? Or would they come up with their own ideas and interests?

"Hello little ones." he beamed with pride as he looked over at them, "You two are just perfect." And oh! Introductions. "I'm Sprig, your father." he spoke a bit slower so that they would be able comprehend his words. Speech took a bit to learn fully and he didn't want to overwhelm them.

@Cadenza

This memory was imprinted on them forever, Cadenza was fairly certain. Unlike the hatching in Leo, there was no bustle and panic of needing to move. Here was safe. Here was peace. Here, they were all surrounded by loved ones.

Cadenza moved to very gently nuzzle the louder child, now hatched as well. Would she be talkative, they wondered? What would her voice sound like when she truly spoke? No matter what, Cadenza would always love these two.

"I am Cadenza, your other parent," Cadenza introduced themself to both children, musical voice slow and patient. "Welcome to the world, you two. We both love you very much."

They scanned the obsidian-stone child, but it seemed the she had not gotten any sharp shards of obsidian on her, thankfully. Cadenza remembered Dread carefully removing the shards from them upon their own initial hatching.

Cadenza's gaze flitted between both children with awe, then gazed at Sprig briefly as well.

'We created these beautiful lives,' Cadenza thought to themself, astounded even though this was not their first set of children. They would never stop being in awe of their children, Cadenza was fairly certain. No matter how old they got, or any other matter.

@Thyme

Her bright eyes darted back to the other cub, stumbling to meet the larger creatures. The younger sibling's pupils dilated, and she extended long draconic paws towards Asira seeking to pull her in closer for a good, investigative sniff. She gave little acknowledgement of the leaf, but maybe her parents would notice the little points of light on her coat once in shadow, pulsing softly with her newly beating heart.

Her father rumbled kind words - she didn't understand them yet, but she could feel the warmness in them, honey sweet like the air around her.

The nuzzle was met with a mrrp! and another paw outstretched, gently batting Candenza's cheek before they parted. Their great breath made her plush coat flutter, her magicka tensing with her muscles. Somewhere close, a stray seedling breached soil.

she understood these creature's as safe, her anchor in whatever was to come - a future she could not yet comprehend. She almost felt as though she'd never left the chrysalis.

@Asira