Black listened intently, pendulous ears raised.

Something in him rang with a soft "no" at Fisher's hope, Fisher's suggestion--his mind informed him that it would not work. But he wasn't sure why that would be; he didn't know about stones and life and rebirth. And anyway, it was Fisher's hope, here. He couldn't just destroy that. Well, he could, but without truly knowing whether a revival was possible, he didn't speak of it.

Instead he gave a soft huff, a woofing breath, and--since Fallah was at his side--crawled slightly farther forwards so that he could nudge Fisher.

"How can we help," he rumbled at last, and it was more of a statement, than a question.

Looking at Fallah, he knew that she would lend her aid, too. He didn't feel bad for offering them both up. They were a trio, inseparable--despite their slight individual lives (or well, he supposed the other two had deeper lives than he did, more entwined with the rest of the cave). They would stick together, help one another, no matter what.

And perhaps this Deus could join them.

________________

@Fisher

I turned on the radio to find you on satellite

Fisher frowned at Fallah's doubt, uncertainty swirling in his chest. He had to make it right-- but his friends seemed unsure, and that was enough to make the little mustelid hesitate.

"Well.. I don't really know," Fisher admitted after a moment, but he kept the reassuring smile across his muzzle, leaning over to lick at Fallah's cheek, his forepaws stretching into Black's fluffy wrinkles. "But Black, when you made White," he started slowly, "her mother gave you her stone, right? White's stone? What did you do with it?" It had to be just like how Black had made White, and maybe it wouldn't work... But he had to try, he had to.

If he failed, well, at least then they knew for certain that death was permanent. Until that moment, Fisher wasn't about to think that Deus was gone forever, not when they had a chance to fix it.

@Black @Fallah

Black pricked his pendulous ears, peering. At the mention of White, a strange pride filled him, and he straightened to lay more stiffly upright, sphinxlike.

But... how had he made White? He pondered this, carefully, before wuffing out his answer in rumbling tones.

"The blackness within me--my magic, perhaps... rolled forth like a fog, and infused the stone. This took root, and became a seed. From this seed was born new life. It was to be a weapon," he added, with a tone of faint confusion. His mind had told him that a creature born of the crow and himself would join light and dark to become something more, but thus far White was--though a lovely, pride-inspiring child for any parent to dote upon--far from a weapon. She was just a kind, open creature, bright with curiosity and light.

Black pushed the thought away with a rough shake of his head, and looked to Fisher, trying to calculate how it might be repeated.

"Breathe yourself into it," he suggested at length. "A burst of magic, of yourself, send your soul. The part that wins."

That, he felt, went without saying: to give away the part of himself that always faceplanted when casting a spell would just make a horrible baby.

________________

@Fisher @Fallah

((been bluescreening a lot, so popping this post in here out of turn in case I gotta be gone a few days, so Fisher can move on with giving life if wanted!! Sorry!))

Wow fallah way to talk it up u blabber mouth.

Fallah listened wordlessly to things she did not understand. She stayed where she was, looking between her friends. they spoke of making new life, one having already done it, and one about to try it. Fallah had only given herself life once again, her magic healing her. Black instructed Fisher on what to do, and Fallah felt it was imperative to lend her support.

Fallah came to put her paw on Fisher's shoulder, "I know not of what you seek to do, or at least the mechanics of it, nor do I know if it will work fully. White is something that is not quite Eve and not quite Black, but both of them. Perhaps, if you do this, it will be someone who is not quite Deus, and not quite Fisher, but also both. Are you prepared for that?" She moved her paw, taking a step back and looking at the stone, "Though... I know if it was me in your position, and you or Black's stone at my paws, I would try a thousand times over to bring you back. I would risk all my magic and all my being to see you again... so... if you feel that way, and if you are willing to accept the outcome, no matter what... Then I will stand by you, no matter how long it takes, and no matter the outcome."

She fell silent then, feeling heavy the weight of the task ahead. The journey was Fisher's and Fisher's alone, but she would be by him every second of it. Every breath, and every heartbeat.

"Speech"

@fisher @black

I turned on the radio to find you on satellite

The noodle listened intently to Black, his tail twitching as he absorbed every bit of information. His copper eyes flashed back to the gem in his paws and he thought, quietly, until Fallah's voice caught him. Blinking, Fisher looked up at his best friends and cocked his head to one side, considering her words. She was... Right, he realized-- this wouldn't... Probably, wouldn't, bring back Deus. It would bring back something different, something sort of Deus, something sort of his own. Would that make him a father? Hesitance trickled across his coat but as he laid in the company of his friends he came to a quiet conclusion.

"Deus was never given the chance to be someone. She was just a puppy, a little broken, too young to understand... Her stone, if it still has any piece of her in it, would want to live. Deus loved being alive, she understood that much... I know it." He didn't know a lot about the pooch, but he did remember her doofy grin and wagging tail to this day.

"I should at least give it a shot... I'm ready to make up for what happened all those cycles ago, even if what comes out of it isn't exactly Deus." It was a good thing Fallah had brought this up-- Fisher wasn't one to think outside the box or even near the edges of said box, so that kind of thought would have gone right over his head. As he sat with his friends, he knew he had to give it a shot.

So he tried, quietly, to ease his magic into the stone. Not like a blast of lightning-- that would be too dangerous, he'd probably hurt all three of them and break the gem. Gently, like the shift of a heartbeat in the stillness of the night, lulling him to sleep.

@Black @Fallah

Black watched.

Fallah's words had been wise, but now Fisher was attempting it--Black could feel the surge of magic, feel its gentle embrace as it wreathed the stone Fisher held so dear.

The dog's ears pricked up further, his wrinkled face taking on an expression rather like melting candle wax as he peered closer. He must not interfere, no--but silent, his breath held at the sanctity of the moment, he watched.

Perhaps he, too, could learn something... after all, his own life-giving had been so abrupt, so unexpected. But Fisher didn't seem liable to lose control; rather he was doing far better than he normally did with his magic, and Black shuffled even closer to see.

He kept a bit of distance, of course--he was close enough to touch, but he didn't.

He just lay, and watched, and when it was done he lifted his pale blue-grey eyes to his friend, wondering what would come next.

________________

Fisher accepted what Fallah said. He told her that Deus would want to live. Fallah could understand that. Fisher confirmed that he was ready, even if what came out wasn't exactly Deus. Fallah nodded, swallowing, "Even if it's not Deus..." she repeated, confirming it like a promise that she would be there.

Fisher focused. The whole cave seemed silent. Fallah could feel the magic. It wasn't Fisher's usual magic. It wasn't zap magic. It wasn't dark magic. It wasn't water magic. The magic that filled the air was something entirely different; soft, warm, and vibrant. Fallah looked from the stone to Fisher, then to Black. Was Fisher doing it right? What happened next? Could Fisher really make life of Deus's stone? Had Black and Eve really made life together? Fallah had not thought about it before, "Something that is not quite you, and not quite me, but both of us, and yet, something completely different."

"Speech"

@fisher @black

I turned on the radio to find you on satellite

Fisher's tail swished behind him slowly as he watched, in quiet awe, as the gemstone glistened with his magic and started to grow. It was as slow as watching paint dry, but after a few moments of quiet focus, the stone seemed to take root into the earth bellow and he pulled his paws back, sitting up on his haunches. A grin spread across his features as he looked at his friends.

"Looks like it worked... So I guess I better keep an eye on this. How long did it take yours to hatch, again, Black? For White to hatch?" Fisher was impatient as any wriggly, excitable noodle, but he knew it would take more than an hour. A few days. Maybe even a week, or two... He wished he had paid more attention to Black back then, but he had been recovering from the battle mostly.

He wriggled closer to his friends and plopped on top of Black. "Thanks for believing in me, you two." He woofed softly, licking both of them affectionately. "I couldn't have asked for better friends."

@Black @Fallah

Black lifted his head, briefly, pendulous ears perked Fisher's way. For a moment--a very long moment--he considered Fisher's question.

"It took time," he declared at last, completely useless. The Black Dog had zero conception of the passage of time, and so after an additional moment of thought, he added--with confidence in his tone--"Several years, I think."

Yes, that sounded right.

Satisfied, the dog laid his head back on his massive paws, tail thumping briefly on the rock. Did this mean there was going to be a new young one to look after, soon? A new dog, perhaps, like himself? Like White, but less crow?

The Dog settled down to wait, apparently content to sit himself down here for years.

________________

@Fallah ; @Fisher

Fallah didn't really know what to say or how to react to the situation, so she watched. Fallah leaned into Fisher's affections and listened to Black saying it took years for White to hatch. Fallah wasn't sure what a year was, but it felt about right. As Black moved to wait for years, Fallah stretched, standing, "I'll go get snacks," she mentioned as if it didn't involve murdering lesser gembounds. Yawning, Fallah turned to the others, "Want anything special?"


"Speech"

@fisher @black