So many bright lights here! Todd knew this place. he was born here, all those cycles ago; but he'd never seen it as bright and pretty as this! He could see all the lights swirling above them, so bright and pretty, a hundred million colours like nothing he'd ever seen before! Todd wanted to bring them down and put them into the stone on his paw, so that he could stare at them forever. But he doubted he'd even be able to reach them. Not yet at least; maybe what he needed was some kind of new magic! Excitement bubbled in his chest and the fox began to hobble around, gaze totally fixed on those lights high above.

Maybe they left a spell around here so he could go up to them. Maybe he had to find the key!

It might be buried, or hidden, or someone else might have it already! Oh no! Todd had to find it before someone else did!

Like this was all one big game, Todd decided that the best place to look would be somewhere high up, so that he would be closer to the lights he wanted to get to. Tail twitching and back legs occasionally skipping steps in their excitement, Todd bounded around, looking for the highest point in Polaris.

"Speech"

 :

a million shining stars above
Finding her feet had been the hardest part of learning. At least at first. They always seemed to be in the way, tripping her up, making her tumble. She'd bumped into more than one of the other creatures who resided here, at least temporarily, and more than one of them had been less than pleased to be met that way. So now she had a few cuts and scrapes decorating her hide. And a new sense of shyness around anyone she hadn't at least heard speak some few words.

She was trying to decide where to go next, having paced around the area of her awakening for so long she had nearly memorized the area. Should she move on, and risk meeting more new beast with claws and teeth and horns? Maybe it was better to just stay where she felt safe, where she knew the best places to hide. But those hiding places were rapidly growing harder and harder to use. Her size was catching up to her, albeit slowly, but before long, she would be as large as her feet.

Hopefully they wouldn't keep growing as well.

Finally, she made a decision. She'd at least take a look around. Rising up, she began padding her way to the spire in the distance. It seemed quite large, and possibly she might climb it, and be able to see more. Or at least, see enough to make a decision about which way to go next. Or maybe... well, she'd decide when she got there.

if only i knew what they mean

@Todd

As he skipped his way around, his hind legs twitching and bouncing and skittering in his excitement, Todd was only really paying attention to the world above. He pranced and pranced, and almost ran straight into someone in his path, only to skid to a halt and tumble very nearly head over heels. Within a few seconds he was back on his paws and nervously sniffing at the lump of fur he'd very nearly run into. What was it? Was it a herbivore?

He narrowed his eyes nervously.

The other creature's size was just that little bit too big for comfort. But they looked big and soft and fluffy, and... not that scary! Todd slowly sat down, his hind legs folding awkwardly beneath him. He sniffed again, ears twitching, his chocolate brown eyes round and nervous.

"Hallo! You're not a herbivore are ya?" he asked, straight to the point. As he waited for a response he tapped his paws against the ground, his gem letting out a quiet clinking sound. "'Cause then you'd be mean, and I'd run away."

Then the realization hit him! He gasped.

"Are you trying to get to the pretty lights too?!" he cried excitedly, throwing his head back in a wild gesture up towards the auroras high up above them. "It's magic! All the spells must be up there and I'm looking for them!"

His deep voice and adult body seemed a stark contrast to the sweet innocence that made up his mind; the fox had hardly changed a bit since the moment he'd hatched here in this very same room.



"Speech"

@Lyrastrae

Nyx Dawnwalker put on your war paint

Nyx was drawn back to Polaris on a regular basis. Not only by the tangible power that ebbed off the Spire in waves, but also by the allure of the room she'd been born in.
She'd emerged in Polaris && had felt a strong connection to the room ever since.

All those cycles ago.

Still, more Gembounds emerged in Polaris near every day, which also drew Nyx in. She still remembered how nice it had been to have someone by her side when she emerged && she wanted to help the young gembounds in that way too, being there for them && welcoming them into their world.

Today, though, Nyx did not stumble upon an emerging Gembound. Instead, she walked in on two young creatures ( a silver fox && a snow leopard ) excitedly chattering.
Or, well, the silver fox was chattering.

Nyx giggled when she heard him praise the lights above. No, they don't hold any spells, she thought, smiling at the young gembounds. But they're still pretty.

"It's not magic, I'm afraid." Nyx confessed to the two smaller ones, standing a little ways away from them. "But they're still pretty."

The silver fox was clearly older than the snow leopard, but he definitely didn't lack the childish curiosity. "And be careful when you climb!" The fallow deer insisted with genuine, motherly concern.

"Listen to me."

@Lyrastrae @Todd

 :

don't sneak up on me...
So much for not running into others. Against her bulk, the tiny fox crashing into her was not a terrible weight, but the startle was more than one would think for such a large beast. She whirled and promptly curled herself into as small a ball as possible, long tail draped over her face as a further barrier. Then she waited, as the little thing chittered away happily.

The words all ran together, confusing her, especially when he started talking about herbivores. What was a herbivore? The he started talking about the lights, and she dropped her guard a bit. "The lights, yeah..." Awkward, not quite sure yet. "Magic? Spells? But, aren't they just... Pretty?"

Just as she was mumbling this, another creature approached. She immediately went into defense mode again, but the newcomer stayed back aways, giving them space, and her voice was quiet and soothing. She hesitated, the ventured to speak again, "Oh, pretty. But... what's magic?"

i'm a scaredy, no wait, a scary cat...

@Todd @Nyx

Still breathing a little heavy from his bounding and excited chattering, Todd waited excitedly for the big ball of fluff that seemed to be a cat to reply. "Yeah, they're real pretty... Loads prettier'n last time I was here. They gotta be magic!" he burst out, waving his tail from side to side.

The stranger was quiet, and seemed unsure. Maybe they were scared of magic! Todd didn't wanna frighten them. He tried to stay still, holding his paws firmly against the ground. "It's where you do things! Sometimes good things, an' sometimes bad things. But they're all cool, and they make this glow!"

Todd raised his paw to show the other the piece of labradorite that made up his pawprint. Then another voice, kind and nice, broke the momentary silence and Todd looked around for the source excitedly. He found them, and all the excitement drained from his every feature in an instant. His eyes widened, his fur rose and he let out a choked whimper. He opened his mouth as though to speak, a thousand memories flashing back to him- the burning fur, the acrid scent, the sheer agony.

His entire body seemed to freeze as it had only one time before... He opened his mouth, teeth chattering His breaths were heavy, his eyes were wet, and slowly he retreated into a terrified ball on the ground.

"I don't wanna play again," he whispered, letting out a tiny sob.

"Speech"

@Nyx @Lyrastrae

Nyx Dawnwalker put on your war paint

While the feline was a little hesitant to meet Nyx's gaze && talk to her, the silver fox was all but afraid if Nyx. It was an almost comical sight ( many many cycles ago, Nyx might have laughed ) but now, it only worried the fallow deer. What had happened to the gembound to instill him with so much fear in the face of a doe?

"Hey little one." She cooed softly, looking at the small silver fox. Despite wanting to step closer, Nyx decided against it. It wouldn't be a good idea, seeing as the fox was already cowering && crying without the doe approaching him.
"I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I'll just stay right here." Nyx watched the stranger sadly, hoping he'd realize that she wasn't who he took her for.

What could she do but offer to stay back? As much as Nyx wanted to hug the poor little thing, she couldn't.

"Listen to me."

@Lyrastrae @Todd

 :

i don't like this, not one bit
"Magic sounds neat," the cat said as she examined the glowing paw held up before her. She looked down at her own paw, and the fiery crystals there. "Can I do magic?" She led up her own, dwarfing the fox's. She was about to speak again, when the silver creature suddenly noticed the other, and acted as if she was sure to hurt him.

Confused, she turned back to the deer, fur fluffed out to make herself as large as possible. Other than that, she had no idea what to do. Should she stay, try to growl and scare off the deer? Stay, and just be a big, giant thing? Run, run as fast as she could, as far as she could? "What's going on?" she finally whispered, near panic. "Please? Someone say what's happening?"

i'm so confused, i want to split

@Todd @Nyx

Shying low to the ground, Todd's ears pricked as he heard the big cat speaking again. "It is! Magic is good! Magic is great!" he declared, flicking his tail erratically with his eyes round as saucers. "I dunno! I think a lotta people can do magic. Maybe everyone! I think you can! You should try and maybe I can teach you!" The fox seemed excited at the idea of teaching someone magic, although that wasn't much different from the norm. Still, he was more mellowed than usual. Maybe he thought the big fluffy creature he'd established as a friend would protect him from the assumed threat of the doe.


"There was one of those once but it was white and two big horrible things and they made it so I couldn't move anymore..." Todd sniffled. Even today, his back legs were covered with scars and the fur that had grown back was mangy and messy, dotted with bald patches. "An' they said it was 'cause they were herbivores so that means they were bad and evil and horrible and maybe this one looks different 'cause of magic? It's bigger and it has sharp things on its head..." Todd gazed nervously at the doe's little horns.

Todd looked at the deer again, his ears swiveling so that he could listen to them speak. He lashed his thin furred tail and nodded, gulping as he slowly rose up into a sitting position. Their voice was different. Was that magic too?


"That'll be good..." he offered hesitantly with a small nod. "You're not gonna throw magicky things at me again? Are you?" Todd's hackles rose. "'Cause if ya do, I'm bigger! and I can throw bigger magicky things at you!"

Todd looked fondly down at the stone on his paw.

"Speech"

@Lyrastrae @Nyx

 :

i'm bigger and badder than you
The little fox's words made sense, no wonder he was afraid. Like her, she had been afraid. Afraid they would be like the others. But they weren't, at least so far. But the little fox was still scared. But she wasn't. And she was a lot bigger. The ivory cat rose to her feet and placed herself between the deer and the fox, draping her tail in such a way that it curled around the silver form, a buffer if need be.

His words drew her attention to the horns that crowned the deer's head. They looked sharp, and useful. She wondered if there was a way she could get horns too? Maybe this magic they were talking about? A brief memory flashed through her mind, burning feet and a sneering laugh. She squashed it. Really bad memories didn't do anything but hurt you. Maybe, maybe she should let the fox know that? Maybe he would feel better.

But then again, maybe he wouldn't. She decided to not speak right then, just sit there and be big. That was something she could do easily. Yup.

if i need to be; but i hope i don't

@Todd @Nyx