Underneath the dust and rubble of a long-ago derelict and crumbling building, lay two huge stones, laying side by side. They slept as they formed, safe inside their chrysali, feeling the warmth of the other, always knowing that the other stone was close by, guarding them, keeping them company.

One of the stones, a huge onyx, had been slightly broken a long time ago when the building fell on top of them both, showing thin splintered cracks along the top. When it had happened, the life inside had whimpered in pain, unable to do anything but stay inside his now-broken home, feeling some of the natural warmth leak out near his rear. (At what point had he become a he?) It made him unhappy that this distracted him as he grew, the memory of perfect safety now fading the longer he grew. (When did he recognize time?) And at one point, his shoulders were touching the walls of his home, and the heat radiating from the stone nearby rolled over him like a furnace, making up for any warmth he was losing to the cracks. Whoever guarded him, he loved already, and he wanted to protect them like they protected him for all this time.

With that thought, the life's eyes came open, suddenly gaining the desire to leave this broken home and meet whoever was next to him.

He shoved with his shoulder, and the shell splintered from the force, rocking him a little. He bucked with his legs, since he knew that area was already weak, and it worked, but it really hurt for some reason, so he didn't try that again. This time he shoved up with his whole back, and the two weak points allowed him to come up completely, shoving away rubble and dust. The new air was incredibly cold on one side of him, but on the other, as he looked, the heat was still there, only more powerful for not being blocked by his dull black shell.

The stone next to him was just as big, from what he could see under the dust, but it wasn't a dull black, it was a shimmering radiance of colors, and he immediately knew that this was his sibling, and he would protect them through anything.

Everything was perfect inside her nice warm home. She had someone nearby to keep her company, it was lovely and warm, it was safe, and nothing could be better. She dreamed peaceful dreams, dreams of playing with the mystery creature next to her, whose shape was always ill-defined yet recognizable in a way that only dreams could create. She loved playing with them, whoever they were! They never said anything, but that was okay! She always knew what they meant.

It wasn't until she heard great splintering cracks that the sweet dream ended, and she opened her eyes. What was going on? Where was she? She panicked, thrashing against her shell, but it was complete and strong, and didn't give way at all. Was the creature next to her coming out to meet her? She needed to leave too! But the shell wouldn't budge! She made a cry of distress which was mimicked in a muffled sound by the mystery friend outside.

@Hasira

Walking through his territory had never been so irritating in his life. He could smell hints of the enemy, he knew they were there... So close and yet so far. He would deal with them at one point but for now, he would just patrol. It was as he was walking that he heard the muffled cry of some sort of creature. Ears twitched and he let out a snort. Was it friend or foe?

Only one way to find out.

He rounded a corner and saw a gray lump next to a chrysalis. Head tilted to the side. It seemed the fates were smiling on him today. The stag put on a winning smile and approached. Horns dipped in greeting before turning his gaze on the unbroken chrysalis. "Allow me to help you, my child." He said gently as he came forward and hit his large antlers on the stone casing, in an attempt to free what was inside.

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words:
tagged:
ooc:
muse:

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

She heard sounds outside her stone shell, a shuffling, a repeated sharp sound on the ground outside (she wanted to be outside already!), and a smooth, comforting, deep voice. She really liked that voice, even if she didn't know what the words meant, and she relaxed in her shell before a huge force shook her in her shell, and splintered cracks appeared near her head. Light shone through, and she peered at it, more determined to escape and see the world outside.

She butted it with her head, but she didn't put enough force into it, and all she got in return was a sore forehead, and she cried again in distress. She knew the friend was already out, why was it so hard for her to do it to?

He watched the stranger come up to them both, with their smooth words and elegant airs, and he lowered his head. Maybe this kind stranger could help his sibling to escape and come out? He really wanted to see what his sibling would look like, if they had a long grey heavy nose with a bump on it on the end like he did, and if they had the same hurting rear end like he did. It still hurt, and by now he could barely remember when it had been okay. But he disregarded this, and focused instead on what was going on.

He sat down and watched the stranger hit the shimmering shell, causing it to splinter, and he nodded, hoping this would be enough for them to come out, but then he could hear them struggle inside their shell and he frowned, getting up again. Maybe he could help?

He climbed onto the brilliant shell a little bit, made a sound, a wordless grunt, and had his hoof, the one with the shiny black stone like the one he came from, come down hard on the splintered cracks, and pieces flung away and into the shell, creating a decent enough hole. He made a happy sound, punching more of the edges around and saw grey skin move and shift inside.

The creature inside moved their head to see outside, and cried out happily, shoving up through the new hole, kicking more and more pieces here and there. They - no, they were a she! he realized - She got her shoulders and hooves out of the shell, looking at them both with an incredibly happy and bubbly expression.

"S-sii" He stuttered, the word bursting from him. "Sis-sissster!" She looked just like him! Grey skin, bump on the end of the nose, short legs with hooves (except instead of black, it was shimmery like her shell) and a long whip-like tail with hair on the end.

@Hasira

He could hear her inside, the call of an herbivore in distress. More minions... Bulky ones for his army. Yes. He could use these children. He would raise them and take them in as his own. They would be obedient and they would be loyal. Hasira continued to hit and kick at the chrysalis while the other creature joined in on the efforts. Before long the head and shoulde rof another rhino popped out to greet the word, much to the glee of her brother.

Hasira smiled despite himself, reminded immediately of him and Wynry. He saw himself and his brother in this pair. Life would not take them away, he would keep them forever. They would be his and he would be their Lord. "Welcome to the world, my children. Have you discovered your names yet?" His steely gaze locked onto them, softly encouraging them to speak their words.

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@Feverfew
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5/10

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

She climbed out of her shell, feeling the pinpricks of the sharp broken edges try to catch her skin, but to her delight, her skin was really tough and compeltely ignored it! Haha! It was like she had adamantine skin, tough as nails, impervious to all! And she really liked this bump on the end of her nose, whatever it was!

The grey thing that also had a bump near her called out to her with a long and drawn out stutter, and when she paused and absorbed the word, she bounced up and down, shattering more shards. "Sis! Sisss-sisster!" She mimicked, enjoying the word immensely. She was a sister! And this mystery friend who helped her escape was her brother! She laughed and leaned over to them, nuzzling the side of their wrinkly face. "Bro-brotthh-brother! Brother!"

This was great! She had a brother and this really really tall stranger with the soothing voice was speaking to the both of them now, and she looked up with pure adoration and glee in her eyes. "Naah-naaah-naaaay," She said, the word long and drawn out so she could get the sound of it right. "Naaayy-naaame. Name, name,"

She looked at her brother, saying the word over and over, and then in the middle of it, it clicked. She had a name, and her name was Feverfew. With a startled exclamation, then a laugh, she looked up at the stranger. "Me, me, fee-feevvve-feevah-"

It took her a while of trying, and she did so quietly to herself before she got it down right. "Me Feverfew!"

His insides radiated with happiness and warmth when she looked at him and called him her brother and nuzzled his face. That's what he was, he was a brother and she was a sister. Outwardly, he showed no signs of excitement except for the brief motion of his hips, which stopped quickly because of the sharp pain. If he wasn't hurt so badly, his long tail would be swishing back and forth, but instead, it was stunted and broken like someone had taken a twig and snapped it in multiple places.

Inside however, it was like fireworks were going off. He had a sister, he had a sister, he had a sister who looked just like him! This was the best day ever! He nuzzled her back, and looked where she looked when the stranger spoke.

They - no, this stranger was a he too - He said that they were both his children, didn't he? Did that mean that he was their papa, that he made them both? "Papa," He said quietly, his voice just a notch deeper than his sister, though still just as childish. He liked the name. Name. He listened while his sister was trying out the word vocally, but he chewed on it silently. Name. Name.

Just as she brightened like a ray of light when it hit her, so did it hit him, and the only sign of it was that his dark eyes lit up, matching her happiness to a much smaller degree. He knew what his name was, his name was Deadnettle.

He went over it in his head, watching as his sister vocally tried out the word, and seconds after she same her name, he said, "Me Deadnettle," very softly, looking up at their papa.

His sister laughed when he said his name too, and started to try his name out over and over under her breath, and he loved the way she put so much effort into it, like she was giving him a gift of the sound of his name, even if she messed up a lot.

@Hasira

The little ones tested the sounds on their mouths. Before long he had the two new names Feverfew and Deadnettle along with something else... Papa. No one had ever called him "Papa" before but he liked the sound of it. It sounded as if he had been the creators of them and held power and perhaps some sort of fatherly love and the job of protecting them. Good. He liked that. The great stag smiled down at them, head dipping down in an approving nod.

"You both have lovely names. My own name is Lord Hasira." Now he laid down in front of the two children like an indulgent father, ready to speak with them on the same level and mentor them in this new life. "Are you hungry, my little ones?"

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@Feverfew
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5/10

"Talking looks like this!"
Thinking looks like this...

She was trying out her brother's name, but it probably would have taken her just the same amount of time to get it right as her own, so she gave it up for the moment when Papa lowered down to look them in the eye. She liked that, because he was really really tall!

"Loh-lohhhd-" Feverfew said, tilting her head a little - he had two names! No, no, her brother was right, he had three names, and she liked the third one the best. "Loohh Papa!"

Then he asked if they were hungry, and she had to think about it for a little while until the word made sense. Hungry was her stomach wanting something, right? Her tummy felt kind of growly and empty, so she nodded and said, "Hungee, hungee!" She laughed and crashed her way through the shell so she could be on the same level with Papa and Deadnettle.

What did everyone eat, anyway? She looked around briefly, but nothing in the immediate area looked like something they could eat. Could they eat crumbled stone? It didn't look very good to her. So she looked back to Papa expectantly, for surely he'd know!