Attached low to the wall of the cave lay a crystal, a few feet long in length and a foot in width. Its smooth facets were illuminated by the gentle glow of numerous fungi. Beneath the surface, something stirred.

In the beginning, there was a tremendous pressure. It enveloped him from all sides and squeezed. Sarda had no choice but to struggle against it, to try and squirm away. Something cracked, and the pressure eased just slightly. With a grumble of discomfort, Sarda wiggled and wriggled inside his chrysalis until he could kick out with his powerful hind legs. One kick, and a great split ran down the length of the chrysalis. Two kicks, and the pieces of the chrysalis began to shatter and separate.

"Awoo!" complained the creature inside. Sarda's voice reverberated off the chrysalis still stuck to his head, deepening his voice and giving it an echo.

More kicking and squirming, and the body was able to emerge from the remaining shards. The being appeared to be a canine of some persuasion, smaller than a wolf but larger than most foxes. He had a short tail and a sandy coat of short fur. As he stood, chrysalis fell away from him.

"Rrrbblgh!" he said as he shook himself viciously, scattering the last few pieces of minuscule crystal stuck to his fur. All save for the chunk that was still stuck atop his head.

Sarda shook his head, but the chrysalis would not release. He bowed his head to paw at it, but it hurt to bend his neck with this extra weight atop him. Even his claws were not enough to deal with the chrysalis, and atop his head it stayed. A moment of stillness, and Sarda took a few cautious steps forward- but his body swayed precariously with the extra weight, and so Sarda went still again.

"Awoooo woo woo woo!" Sarda called again, his voice mournful and too loud in his own ears. "Awoo woo woo woo!"

Sarda quieted, realizing that his complaining hadn't helped either. His tail drooped slightly, and then perked into a slow, confused wag.

'Awoo!'

This distant, muffled voice gave Kai pause. She'd been picking her way through the cave tunnels, but-

'Rrrbblgh!'

...but something was making noise. She turned, quickening delicate steps to try and find it. She found herself, bemused, guided by a series of tiny "awoos," so that when at last she came in sight, her head was tipped quizzically to one side. She paused here, slender limbs holding her gracefully as she contemplated the sight before her. The 'awooer' was alone in the tunnel, the shattered chunks of chrysalis haphazardly strewn about, including--atop his own head? At length she cleared her throat--politely, in case this tiny stranger had not seen her--and spoke.

"You have something, ahh," she began, and then tilted her head downward, tapping a hoof at her own skull to demonstrage. "...Just there."

It did not occur to Kai that Sarda probably already knew this.

@Sarda