In the deepest part the cave, everything was barren. Ice covered the rocky cavern. Vegetation was nonexistent. The space seemed dull, dim, and desolate, but a single life had somehow blossomed in this emptiness. A faint silver light in the area fell upon a lone chrysalis with a crack down it's side. Inside the chrysalis was the creator of this crack, a newly developed kid. Ruta was just being awakened from her deep sleep. The crack she had formed in her enclosure with a small kick during her slumber allowed in a small amount of light. However, having been used to utter darkness, this dim light was painful to her poor eyes. Soft noises from the cave met her suddenly aroused ears, foreign sounds of dripping ice and the faint splashing of Pisces waterfall in the far off distance. The unfamiliar world of the cave enveloped her in things she couldn't understand. It ripped her away from her surrounding bed of warmth and bathed her body in light. Suddenly awakened, she kicked out more violently than before and destroyed her safe confinement at long last, thus revealing her eyes to her true home. Tunnel M.

With blurry eyes, Ruta stood up, nearly falling right back down. Her eyes looked about puzzled. She continued on though, taking her first few steps onto ice. Shivers went up her spine, more from surprise than the chilly air. Her thick coat had already prepared her for the cold. After assessing the world around her with flared nostrils and wide eyes, she continued to try to walk. Had her hooves not been built for such unsteady ground, walking for the first time would not have been as easy in this climate. But, there she was, testing out her lanky limbs smoothly. Soon, after much more practice, she was prancing about the area with a joyful grin on her face. There were a couple attempts that caused her to fall down, but the goat had been gifted with determination and kept at it until she was even able to run. Filled with excitement, Ruta opened her mouth to announce her presence to the alluring world.

"HELLOOOOO!?", Ruta called out loudly to the cave, announcing her presence to everyone in it. She reveled in the voice life had given her. This life, she hoped, would be filled with as many lovely surprises as she had experienced today.

He had not been too long in the caves but already he was learning more and more with each passing second but still it was not enough for the little owlet. He needed more, so much more. It was the reason he'd left the bone cavern and his brethren behind. He would reunite with them eventually but for now he needed to find his way on his own, and do his own... research. Hmm... Yes. He liked that word. Research.

The young owl paused at an icy cavern, talons rapidly becoming colder but even the discomfort wouldn't deter him from his goal. He could get frostbite in his talons for all he cared but he would still continue forward so that he could study this area. It was different even than the bone-place with its warmer climate and crawling creatures. Here, there didn't seem to be much life at all. Because many things didn't like the cold, he assumed. No matter, he could still take a peek at the... ice. Yes.

The blue-eyed avian walked forward and straight up to an icy gem. It was pink in coloration and quite shiny and exceedingly cold to the touch. He knew his own talon possessed a gemstone and he knew that his brethren also had gemstones on their bodies as well. He was beginning to think it was trait that all creatures shared but he would need to do more research.

Ah, yes, there was that word again. He smiled to himself for a moment before the look dissipated as he heard a loud voice echoing on the wind. Who on earth was that? Not one to let questions go unanswered the boy waddled away with the pink gem still clutched in his talons.

Soon enough he found the source of the noise. It was a small deer-like thing which had made the greeting. He clacked his beak together disdainfully at the loud sound but did not remark upon it. Obviously the call had been to summon someone and he supposed he was that someone. Ah well, he could pause in his study of the tunnel to study something else... Like this young white deer-thing.

"Salutations. Your call was one of summoning and thus I have shown myself." He hopped closer, gem and talons clacking on the icy earth. He could see now a broken chrysalis behind her, showing that the creature had just recently awakened. Curious. "You have not been long in this world. Have you discovered the name by which we should call you?" His shrill voice fell silent then while he stared with curious blue eyes, waiting to see what would come of this encounter.

@Rutaceae

No longer cooped up in her Chrysalis, Ruta was energized. She was ready to explore this wonderful place and meet it's inhabitants. Little did she know, one had already begun to approach her. At the sound of another creatures voice, she swiveled her head around to locate where it had come from while her body trembled in anticipation of a new companion. She eventually caught sight of the other gembound, but it's appearance was not what she had been expecting. In fact, its face startled her. After all, She had not yet had the pleasure to acquaint herself with a bird. Especially one so unusual in size. It took her a moment to comprehend what she was looking at. When she did eventually get over her initial astonishment, she stepped towards the creature with curiosity.

Many of the larger words he spoke she didn't recognize. What she could make out from his sizable sentence she considered to herself. A name, he asked? She thought she had an idea for one. "My name is... Rooot... -uh... Yes, um, Ruta.", she tasted the name on her tongue, and found it to her satisfaction. Feeling proud of herself for coming up with a title, Ruta stamped her hooves and nodded energetically. "Ruta! That's my name, dontcha' wear it out." She had a babyish way of talking, far inferior to the owls.

The kids face jutted forward, face to face with the owls to get a better look at his peculiar features. As the front part of her body bent down, she revealed the beautiful diamond placed between her shoulders.

The tiny bird stood completely still as the other neared him, his eyes stared upwards as he waited for the deer-like creature to acknowledge his question. When she did it was a juvenile way to answer his question but an answer nonetheless. Ruta. That was what he was to call her. "Ruta. Yes. Interesting." It wasn't like his siblings' names or his but it would do. In his own mind he figured it fit the young creature. Although with her stomp and next words he seemed almost at a loss. His eyes snapped down to stare at her hoof then back up to look at her eyes. "Names do not wear out. It will stay with you indefinitely until you have the notion to change it." Perhaps that was what she meant? Don't use it so much that she would get tired of it? Pfft, strange. He could understand it but he knew he would never change his own name even if someone used it all the time.

When the kid lowered her face down to stare at him more closely he took the opportunity to hop forward and get an even closer look. His sharp eyes roved over her entire form, absorbing everything he could about her. In his observations he noted the stone that lay nestled between her shoulder blades. Intriguing. So, just as he had hypothesized she held a stone secured into her body as well. The bird hopped back, satisfied with what he had learned. "You are named Ruta but what is your species? Tell me if you would be so kind." His shrill but boyish tones were coldly polite. He needed a species name to match to this interesting new beast.

@Rutaceae

When he suddenly jumped towards her, she took a couple of steps back with a startled snort. She wondered why he kept inquiring about her. A shiver rippled through her body as he continued to study her speculatively.

Ruta became more perturbed at the appearance of yet another weird question from the queer bird. She searched the area around her for an answer as to who she was, or what she was. "My species?", she murmured. She was drawing a complete blank. Finally the realization came upon her when she spied her broken chrysalis in the background. "Oh, I'm a rock."

@Tacitus

After he asked what exactly she was the young goat seemed to be confused for a moment. While she looked about the owl's gaze was never broken away from her as he waited with infinite patience for an answer. Though, when she replied with her answer he wondered if she was really worth the time he was wasting. His blue eyes narrowed every so slightly as he gaze a curt, "No. You are not." One tiny foot raised as he showed off the pink gemstone that lay grasped within it. "This is a rock. A gemstone to be exact, like the one you have in your back and like the one my talon is made of." He lowered his foot back down to the ground as his eyes narrowed further into a glare. "You are no rock but a living creature." But what kind? He had to know! It was a burning ache within him to figure it out. He couldn't stand being so ignorant to the world! "I ask again. What are you?" He was finding that someone withholding him from knowledge he wanted was fairly... irritating.

@Rutaceae

"I have a rock on my back?" Ruta gasped. In a foolish act she attempted to see her back, which only made her fall over. She didn't stop. On the dirty floor she proceeded to try to see her back. "Where is it? I can't see it! Did it fall of?" She had completely forgotten the question.

The owl's eyes widened from a glare to a look of in-credulousness. Why... Why on earth was she behaving this way? "Get up! You can't see your stone that way! You just look ridiculous!" It was beyond all comprehension! Not only did she ignore the question in favor of her own but she also did some sort of foolish move where she tried to see the stone between her shoulder blades! Unbelievable! The owl rolled his eyes and with an annoyed huff he began to hop away. This was the final straw! He could only abide so much before his patience snapped! Further down the tunnel he went so that he could try and leave her to her childish antics. "Imbecile." He muttered under his breath, completely trying to ignore her in favor of actually learning something.

@Rutaceae

Rutaceae barely noticed the owl leave, she continued to try to find her stone. Finally, at the most odd looking angle, she spotted it. "I found it!" The little goat gasped. However, when she looked to see the strange birds approval, he had left. "... I guess he had some place he needed to be."