"Is anyone there? Oh- Hi!" It had all been there. From the moment Fallah slumped down on the cave wall until the larimar chrysalis formed, she was aware. She had been in a state of shock, but before the darkness set in, Fallah saw it all. The dragon had nearly made a meal of her when Fisher and Black appeared. Her heart jumped, though the lynx had been unable to move. She wanted to run to them, to embrace them, but at the same time, they needed to run. Fallah watched the fighting dance in and out of her unfocused vision. They were going to die. they were going to die because of her! In and out of consciousness, the fight passed by. An unsettling coolness began to creep under Fallah's fur. She was moving? How? The lynx smelled Black and blood, though, through clouded eyes, Fisher continued fighting. He couldn't fight the dragon by himself! Why was Black carrying her away! Surely she could be of some help. Fallah's vision blurred more, though, through the numbness, she couldn't feel if she was crying or not. "Who survived? Somebody new? Anyone else but you?" They had escaped, somehow. Everyone was hurt, but Fallah couldn't help. She couldn't move, she couldn't feel any more. The feline wanted to apologize for putting them in the way of danger, but her breaths came in too shallow to make words. Fallah didn't think her eyes were closed, but, slowly, the blurred vision began to turn dark. She was scared. Her heartbeat that drummed in her ears grew slower and slower. She didn't know what death really was, but she didn't think she was ready for it. Would she see Fisher again? Black? Fallah couldn't prophesize that she would ever awaken again. The lynx didn't even fully feel the chrysalis form around her. She heard the panicked murmurs of her friends and then... sadness. The saddest sounds. She heard them and knew they were her friends. Her maw opened with the last of her strength, her lower jaw glowing, but no sound escaped. She took a breath in, then nothing. Her consciousness was gone. Her awareness was gone. Her magic glow, now dull. All feeling and thought became null. The magic was in control, working rapidly to fix the damage that had been done. The lynx had no concept of time, but some time had passed before the gembound would even shift in its cocoon. After that time, though there was no real thought, Fallah's body would respond to sounds, flinching if something were too sudden or too loud. Some time later, it would react to warmth. Thoughts came later still, and even at first as only feeling. That warmth, those familiar voices. They were comfort. The cat did not know who the voices belonged to, but they were familiar and comfort and the gembound reacted to them, drawing near to their warmth. Slowly, slowly, after the concept of time was conceived once again and even slower still, the thoughts began to develop. From the beginning, her memories came back. Memories as ancient seeming as the cave; the lizard at the hatching, the foggy Cetus, Fisher, oh, Fisher! It came back; the deer and the story of the shadow and the king, the flowing water that wouldn't stop, springing off Black's back, the strong, guardian Black. The large fish, Eridanus, the cow Sadie, all of them came back to her. Everything fell into place, up until the last moment before her... her chrystalis! Fallah's heart beat hard, sounding extra loud in the larimar walls. She knew who she was and how she got here. She wasn't dead at all! Her name was Fallah Hallaf, and she was very much alive. "And though I know, since you've awakened her again She depends on you, she depends on you She'll go alone, and never speak of this again We depend on you, we depend I'll depend on you." "speak"

Black had been watching over the stone every waking moment, or rather, every moment that he hadn't been watching over Fisher, or hunting, or scouting.

Each time, he returned here, trotting back to his task, squeezing beneath the tree roots, and waiting. Hoping. His thoughts were vague, and the days swam together; Fisher was a bright spot in them, energetic--a sharply-defined shape in the stream of mist.

They'd been here for weeks. He wasn't sure how long, only that his position had become like home to him: lying beside the stone, eyes closed, his large head laying over the chrysalis. Now and again, he thought of how strange it all was. How it'd happened, how it might all yet go. A sudden dragon, bestial and enormous. Blood. Near-death, the cold, the pain.

The fear.

His neck was healed, by now, scarring thickly; the rest of him was cold, day by day. He had a thick coat but it was quite short, and the mist was all-pervasive, and being wet all the time left him shivering quite a bit.

Right now, all he could hear was his own breathing, and Fisher's, and the beat of his heart in his ears. He closed his eyes, feeling the way it thumped under his chin.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

The sound lured him to sleep, or rather to its edge, as it always did. He was fed, and relatively content, and so he drifted toward the dark.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump. Thump-thump-thump.

Black raised his head, snapping it up, suddenly wholly alert. Pale grey-blue eyes stared down at Fallah's stone, ears pricked.

Had he just heard...?

He listened, but from here could hear nothing; he laid his head back down again, eyes wide.

Thump-thump-thumpthump. Thump-thump-thump. Thump--

"FISHER!" he barked, springing up and turning, standing on stiff, tense legs, his tail swinging back and forth as if it were spring-loaded.

"Fisher! Listen to the stone!"

________________

((ooc -- I love your writing, and it's all good <3 I hope I can write well enough to make up for -this- bit of awesome you made. To clarify, the thumping he's hearing is the stronger beating of Fallah's heart, if that's okay?))

it's empty in the valley of your heart

Fisher curled up on top of the roots, the nest of black fur and stone bellow him quietly resting. He nibbled away on a cave mouse, his tail still as he stared out absently into the mist, lost in his thoughts. Things could certainly be going worse. Black had survived. For him, that was almost all that mattered. He wasn't about to be concerned about anything else. As long as the pair of them were safe, and Fallah... She would come back, right?

When things got quiet like this his more miserable thoughts seemed to creep up. It was worse when he was farther away from Black, but when the pair of them were together-- talking, hunting, guarding-- together it was a bit easier. He could focus on the fact that he still had half of his life in his paws, a friendship that had survived everything so far. He could smile, and laugh, and play pretend that Fallah's life was just around the corner, that soon everything would be perfect.

It was all too easy for him to remember his luck without that one, strong, stable mastiff in his life. His paths crumbled under his paws, lives wasted and destroyed around him-- pain, pain, pain. If it wasn't for Black, Fallah would be gone, and he would follow her.

After all, without Black, he would truly have no one. What would even be the point--

FISHER!

He jumped, nearly coming out of his wiry fur, hissing in surprise as he twisted midair and half fumbled off of his root. "What?" With a huff, he peered down into the cracks of the roots, blinking blearily at the dog.

Fisher! Listen to the stone!

Fisher wasn't sure what Black was going on about, but he wasn't about to doubt his friend or hesitate. He wriggled down, slipping on to the stone with the dexterity of a limp noodle. He settled down on to it, pressing his ear to the stone.

For a moment, Fisher's heart stopped. He could hear it-- Fallah's heartbeat, racing, pumping, rushing just under the thick shell. She was alive, truly alive. With a small squeak, he scrambled over to Black and crawled up into the mastiff's scruff, tangling his speckled sorrel fur in with the just as damp, thin coat of his friend.

"She's there, Black, she's really there," he commented softly, excitement edging into the tone of his voice. "... Do you think, if we can hear her- her heart-- do you think she can hear us?"

@Fallah

(( <3 ))

Aka: "Lemme drag out this hatching a bit for drama"

"Lean into my side Never felt alive Call the chants inside 'We will wait for this We will wait for this'" Whether or not the two outside knew it, Fallah could hear them talking, though not even she was completely sure of what they were saying. Slow, calculated movements brought furry forelimbs to the wall farthest from her companions, her nails clicking and dragging roughly across its surface as Fallah pushed off, arching her back and craning her neck until her nose almost touched the wall closest to Fisher and Black. Her ears twitched, pushing forward to focus her hearing, though, due to the slowness of her movement, the lynx only caught the last of the words, "hear us?" Fallah knew that voice. That was Fisher, her long brown friend, and with him was surely Black, her big dark friend. Short maw opened to speak, but nothing came out. Heavily lidded eyes tensed for a second then slid open with effort. The world was bright, or was that the magic beginning to glow from the walls of the chrysalis? Unknown to Fallah, it was her own eyes and jaw that were glowing, becoming visible through the stone walls that surrounded her. From her companion's view, upside down lynx eyes would glow blindly, the lower canines if her jaw peeking out of her parted maw and glowing the same acidic blue above them. It was time, though Fallah's thoughts weren't fully formed to that point yet, she knew she wanted out. Back paws scraped against the bottom of the stone, finally gaining hold after a second. Chirp-like mewls finally escaped the cat's maw, her heartbeat becoming less and less noticeable as her movements increased. As if she was stretching, Fallah pushed against the walls, her back arching. Once she was out, she wondered if she would see her friends. She hoped so. This thought would be the first truly conscious thought since her almost-death. In her first moments of rebirth all Fallah could think about was seeing her friends again. Her jaw would open slowly and aim to bite at the wall of the stone, though her teeth would slide off. Tilting her head, she would try again. Her legs kicked in to work, pushing against the walls with a stronger force. Finally, a crack in the stone near the center of the shell. The crack may have been quiet from the outside, but it encompassed the entirety of the inner chrysalis, causing Fallah to flinch back for a moment, blue eyes closing and the whole shell going dark for a bit. She would reposition herself almost horizontally in her shell before pushing with her shoulders along the crack and her back legs against the opposite wall. She would push again, the crack growing longer. This time she did not flinch. She would see her friends soon, this she knew. "Lean into my side Never felt alive Call the chants inside 'We will wait for this We will wait for this'" "speak"

Fisher's question froze him in place.

Can she hear us? ...What should I say?

The black mastiff was at a loss for words, staring with mild alarm at the stone. What did he say? What should he say?! He was glad that she was alive, he would guard her, but he was no good with words. A brief, soft whimper escaped him--and then there was a scraping sound from within the stone.

Black tensed even further, and if Fisher hadn't been tangling himself into Black's ruff, he would have leapt to his feet and begun barking for joy. Instead, he slowly stood, leaning forward to sniff over the stone, tail wagging so hard and fast that it smacked against the undersides of the tree roots that formed a woven ceiling low above them.

"Can she hear us, Fisher?" Black asked right back, equal parts worried and hopeful. Then, glancing back to his friend--or trying to, though the position was awkward and the scars at his neck somewhat tightened the movement--"What do we say?"

Then he looked back down, and began to paw at the stone, toes hooking down so that dull dog-claws scraped over it. He was like an overly-excited puppy pawing at something he wanted, and he wanted Fallah to hatch. Wanted her to hatch as she had been, healthy, alive, safe.

The dog stood whining, pawing and wagging his tail, too overcome by the moment to act in any way sensible, Fisher still twined into his back. His entire body wriggled so that even the noodle might be proud.

"Fallah!" he barked abruptly. Then he whined again.

________________

@Fisher

it's empty in the valley of your heart

"Fallah..." His paws scratched gently at the shell, a bit nervous. What if she hadn't fully recovered? What happened to gembounds that couldn't hatch? He had an instinct not to break the shell open himself-- it was something she would have to do, definitely, he couldn't risk trying to break it open and hurting her...

Black spoke, his voice deep and filled with emotion-- it was rare to hear him emotional, and it made Fisher feel even more uneasy.

Can she hear us? What do we say?

The mustelid nodded to Black, though he wasn't sure what to say himself, he was quick to follow the friend's idea-- barking Fallah's name. The noodle started to lose himself to thoughts of Fallah-- her fluffy, huge paws, her furry fur, her fantastic fuzzy face.$

"Fallah!" Fisher fell fast for Fallah, furry feet feeling Fallah. Fallah. Fallah Fallah Fallah. "Black, let's just keep saying her name-- She'll come out. I know she will. We just gotta believe, okay?" Fallah! Fallah Fallah Fallah Fallah Fallah.

Fisher Fallah Fall Fallah, Black Fall-- Fallah Fall. Black. Fisher. Fallah. Fallah Fallah Fallah Fallah... Fallah Fallah Fallah Fallah FALLAH. FALLAH! FALLAAAAAAAH!!

"Fallah, Fallah, Fallah! Fallah!! Fisher's here, Fallah! Fallah! Fallah! FALLAH! FALLAH!! FALLAAAAAH!!!"

He was so getting a dog around his face again.

@Fallah

(( <3 ))

"I'm all alone I'm counting down You're everywhere but no where" Fallah pushed for a while, then stopped to rest. After resting, the gembound would push again. The hatching process was slow and meticulous. From the outside, though she couldn't see them, she could hear them. She could hear Fisher and Dark. She could hear them, but she couldn't see them. She pushed hard, her weak form falling from consciousness momentarily in the struggle. "I'm all alone in my shell You're slipping away" Everything was quiet and dark for a moment as she recovered. Fallah came back, hearing her name over and over again. Those were her friends. they wanted her. She found the strength to push again, her chrysalis cracking. She was so close. She could hear them. They were so close. "I'm all alone I'm counting down Counting down I'm counting down the seconds Counting till we meet again" "Crrrk..." "Criiiiik..." "CRACK!" From her positioning, she toppled out of the opening in her shell onto her back in front of Fisher and Black. Fisher was wailing her name over and over again. the noise, unblocked by her chrysalis, was unbearably loud. Without much thought, Fallah placed a fluffy paw on her long brown friend's maw, "Too loud." her voice came soft, her lips barely parting. It was then she took a moment to look over herself. Her fluffy fur, her new scar down her belly, her... well... something down there was missing. Along the scar, where there used to be a sheath, was simply the scar and peach fuzz fur, coming in black instead of white. That was different. Fallah looked to Black, then Fisher, then her belly. It didn't hurt, it was just... odd... and would take some getting used to. Suddenly, Fallah did a double take at her friends. That was really them? They were really here? In a swift motion, Fallah righted herself and aimed to leap at her large dark friend and her long brown friend, aiming to wrap her forelimbs around Black's tall neck and Fisher's long body, hoping to bring them together and nuzzle her face between them. She didn't have any words yet, she just wanted to feel them, and know they were real. "speak"

Black froze as the chrysalis began to crack open--then moved forward and delicately helped to pull a piece aside. Fallah tumbled forth in a gentle blur of soft warm fur, and he had to restrain himself from sniffing all over her, licking her, whining and pawing and rolling about.

Instead he sat quietly, trembling a little with excitement, his tail wagging frantically to and fro. He watched her right herself, watched her look herself over. He did, too: she was healthy. Healed. No longer was blood smeared over her fur; no more did massive wounds mar her flesh.

When she launched herself at him, hugging them both, he raised a paw to half-drape it over her back, whining and wagging his tail even more frantically than before.

"Fallah," he woofed, but he would leave all the rest of the talking to Fisher. He was no good at that, anyway--but he was good at smothering the feline's face with licks, and so he did that, instead.

A moment later he let out an echoing, triumphant baying, his voice drifting into the mists of Cetus to let all who heard know: Fallah lived.

________________

@Fisher

it's empty in the valley of your heart

It had taken-- what, a whole cycle? Since he had escaped the hell that was Maji Walezi, the bunch of traitors and liars and two-faces, the ones who couldn't give a rat's ass about him, the ones who had forgetten and tossed aside their friendships while cutting each other's throats.

But he had done it. Fisher had left behind the cold emptiness, the unending loneliness, and... He felt like a kid again. Joy surged through him as Fallah plopped out, and he wriggled down, ready to pounce... But there was a moment's pause, and finally she came forward, throwing her paws around them, and he could only wriggle like the best goddamn noodle ever had wriggled, his tiny pink tongue flashing out to shower her absolutely clean, fresh fur with slobber.

"Fallah, you're okay, you're okay," he cried, his voice soft but cracking in pitch. He was practically hysterical as he pawed at her chest and belly gently, twisting to even kick with his back legs-- but he didn't want her to let go, he just wanted to flail at her, shower her with every inch of himself in the dorkiest way possible.

Fisher had succeeded. He had brought his family together again. He had done it, and nothing could take that feeling from him now. He was whole again.

@Fallah

(( <3 ))

She was back, out of the coldness and into the warmth of her friends. They threw her affections and she snuggled in closer to the duo. They licked at her face and she clawed them gently, rhythmically, in her joy. Left, right, left, right, Black, Fisher, Black, Fisher. She had missed them. She had felt so lonely. They were here for her now. Now, everything was full and warm. It felt like it had been so long, so long since she had felt this kind of kinship. How long had she been out? They had acted like it was forever. It FELT like forever. Blue eyes opened as the lynx pulled back slightly, "How long...? Since...?" She looked at the remains of her chrysalis, her memories spinning, "You... You both..." The lynx's voice was quiet, but her large, icy eyes filled with tears as she dove forward, closing the small gap she had created between them, "Thank you..." she choked, her voice wavering, cracking under the surge of emotion. Gratitude, happiness, shame; they were all there. She didn't know how to process it. She pressed into her friends' pelts and squeezed her eyes shut. "Black, Fisher... Sorry..." She muttered. This was all her fault, wasn't it. It was all because of that stupid... Fallah froze, "Dragon-" she hissed. What had happened to him. There were too many questions in her head. She couldn't handle all the thoughts and emotions. She took a ragged breath in, feeling like she couldn't move, "Don't know. What happened? Please, explain...?" Her brow furrowed, still nestled close to her friends. She needed to sort out her mind now, then she could go back to being a slobbery fluff ball. "speak"