The krysalis was small and clear; anyong could see the tiny form curled up inside. However, no one had disturbed it since it first appeared numerous days ago. The creature inside didn't mind, it had been having a feast on the yolk of the egg. But now there was none left and the shell was left empty except for its tiny curled form. It was time to break out.

...

But how was that going to happen? Would the krysalis break? Would it have to break out itself? It considered this for a moment before deciding that waiting would get it nowhere. If it was going to get out, it would have to do it alone. It raised its head, finding a spot that looked weak enough, and then struck out, the sharp tooth just on the tip of its mouth smashing into the crystal. A crack appeared. It struck again. Another crack. One more strike and there was a loud shattering sound as the cobra thrust its face through the new hole in the crystal.

Happy and proud of herself, the new hatched snake started to uncurl her body and move forward...before she stopped. Confused, she tried pushing herself forward again to no avail. She tried to look back, but her neck was still stuck inside. She felt the sharp edges of the broken crystal digging into the scales beneath her neck.

Fear began to settle in as she realized that she was stuck and she could turn around to break more. She tried to pull her head back in, but the venom sacks on the side of her head was getting caught on the sharp edges and pain laced her cheeks. She started to hiss and spit as she trashed inside of the shell, desperate to break her way out. But she couldn't. She was exposed. She was in danger.

The longer that Kielo wandered through the familiar tracks of Polaris, the more confident they became. By this point, they knew the placement of the lights that whirred above them, and had followed the river from (what they thought to be) its beginning through to its end. It was as they wandered a familiar route, carefully avoiding pebbles on the path but still trailing their claws to make sure they didn't trip, that they came upon something new.

A distant crack caused their ears to perk- an out-of-place sound that they'd never heard before, and it drew their attention. Their wings trembled in anticipation and they listened for a while, ears swiveling in order to pinpoint the source. Although their feathered hide was bedraggled, the young one's regal glow fell softly on the world around them, casting shadows from even the tiniest rocks in their path. The young one sniffed, and soon started on their way, turning off the beaten track and setting off towards the sound where, suddenly- they could hear something else.

The sound of hissing, something writhing and clinking.

Unmistakably, something was in a panic. Kielo struggled to pick up the pace, occasionally stumbling over an unseen rock or plowing through a bush. The sound grew ever louder until finally, they skidded to a halt, only feet away from the presumed source. The young, downy hybrid sniffed around, trying to determine the exact situation. They could smell the fluid from inside a newly-hatched chrysalis, and another Gembound. Hatching troubles? Kielo knew a thing or two about that, and their downy wings fluttered nervously.

"H-hello!" they panted. "I-I'll help! C-can you tell me what you need?"

---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts look like this."

tags: @Winter
notes: here

She heard the sound of scrabbling getting closer and closer and her attempts to break the shell became even more frantic. Her tail lashed furiously, banging against the crystal barrier as her eyes spotted a small...thing. A chick? A canine? What the heck was that thing? Not knowing what it was scared her and she hissed louder as her struggles intensified. She couldn't hear its voice at all over the racket she was making.

As she continued to writhe and bash the quartz, she heard a loud crack in her ear. Heartened, she wriggled her head, trying to weaken the shards around her. Some of it dug into her scales and she hissed with pain as it punctured her neck. She felt something warm and wet well up on her skin, but she disregarded it - she was almost there!

Finally, with a final heave, the quartz broke and she tumbled forward, smacking hard against the ground which pushed the air out of her lungs. She quickly whipped the rest of her body out of the cage and sighed at the feeling of the rock beneath her. Her heart was beating frantically from the whole ordeal and her head was spinning with stress. After a moment, however, she remembered the strange creature that was standing nearby and quickly hoisted her head from the ground and faced the thing. Her hood instantly flared out and she hissed, her fangs flashing. If this thing was dangerous to her, she had to protect herself. Instinct was driving every move. Despite the pain in her neck and the feeling of the hot liquid running down her body, she was ready for a fight if that's what this thing wanted.

@Kielo

Azar
It's a new world
It's a new start
And it's alive with the beating of a young heart

Azar heard something. He lifted his head, listening intently for the source of the sound. He hurried forwards, his feet skimming the earth as he searched hopefully for whoever may be nearby. When he finally began to smell something unfamiliar, presumably a new animal, he let out a cheerful yelp in greeting and hoped he would find them soon. And then... a familiar scent? Azar hoped he would meet someone new, anyway, so that he could make them happy and try and fix their problems. That was his goal, after all.

When the scent became stronger, Azar yowled in hope that someone would hear him and reply, indicating where they were in Polaris. It was hopeless, not being able to find something, and Azar's tail dragged behind him against the floor. He whimpered, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear. Someone had to hear him and reply, soon.



"Speech."
"Thoughts."

@Winter

The storm above continues to cycle in a seemingly endless loop; and yet when the creature emerges from its chrysalis, it is as if the storm is watching. An energized mist descends from the ceiling of Polaris and looms overhead, rumbling and crackling as if it might strike.

Kielo was confused that the strange Gembound didn't reply; but if they were a young one, perhaps they just hadn't found their voice yet. It had taken Kielo a while, especially with the situation of their own birth, and this one seemed to be struggling as well. It crossed their mind that since they couldn't see the other, it may well be that the stranger was simply a lesser gembound, incapable of speech; but Kielo wanted to help regardless.

They heard a small crack, and the hissing continued, as well as the sound of thrashing within the chrysalis. "You're doing it! keep going!" Kielo chirped excitedly, wings all in a flutter, and glow brightening in the dark. It was at this moment they finally noticed the tension, above them, which Kielo had always thought to be the cave lights; and it was moving, beginning to crackle rather than give off a soft, energetic hum. Was something about to happen? Nervously, Kielo's ears perked to attention. Perhaps it would be better for someone with sight to judge the gravity of that situation.

They also heard what seemed to be a distant voice over the rumble of storming magic- a familiar voice at that- but the small hybrid felt that they were needed here, and they didn't want to scare the newborn any more than they already seemed.

As the small hybrid listened, they kept on hearing more small cracks, and finally a muffled thump as something slid out onto the earth. Kielo scented the salty tang of blood on the air, and their nose crinkled with worry. "Are you okay? can you tell me what you need? I'll do anything I can!" uncertainty crept into their voice as the hissing sound continued, but unable to see the snake's hooded warning, they remained where they were, one avian paw raised and ready to take a step forward.

---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts look like this."

tags: @Winter
notes: here

Through her haze of fear and instinct, the cobra suddenly heard the distant sound of thunder and was momentarily distracted. The mist from above settled down and the flashes from above alerted her to the storm that she had previously missed. How could she have missed that at all? Perhaps she had been too concerned with her hatching that she didn't hear it. Either way, it brought her back to her senses and when she turned back towards the creature, she rethought her aggression.

The thing hadn't backed down - in fact, it didn't seem to be scared or at all warned by her hood and fangs. At first she was confused, but then her gaze caught the thing's eyes. They were closed. They couldn't see her at all. This thing was no threat to her.

However, her hood did not deflate. The defensive instinct was too strong. Instead, she closed her mouth and hid her fangs, considering that there wasn't really a need to show them. Her hissing stopped and she went completely quiet. She flicked her tongue, tasting the air to make sure that there was no one nearby. However, she didn't scent anything.

So, instead, it was just the two of them, standing in silence. She dropped her imposing, straight-up stance and let her belly touch the ground. At first, she didn't know what to do. What did the thin expect of her? How could she respond? If she could try to imitate the sounds that it was making, maybe she could communicate. At first, she had no idea what to do, but then it suddenly came to her and she opened her mouth to ask what she had been wondering all along;

"W-what...are...you?"

@Kielo @Azar (even though I couldn't find you)

Azar
It's a new world
It's a new start
And it's alive with the beating of a young heart

Azar pricked his ears in interest, as it was rare for him to encounter a new sound. He yapped again, very confused as he stood there with an inquisitive look on his face. If Azar looked hard enough, he could see the outline of a crysalis up ahead that looked remotely similar to the one he had hatched out of. He padded over, hoping it was empty. The smell of life was now strong on the air, and Azar instantly knew he had made a mistake. But, as the strange noise rumbled above him, he found himself calling out to the creature who would either be among the remains of the chrysalis or somewhere nearby.
"Help me, I'm scared!"
Azar spun around desperately, searching for anything familiar or anyone. Who had hatched out of the chrysallis? Whoever they were, he wanted to give them a proper welcome into the world and make them completely at ease with their surroundings. That was his job.
"Where are you? I promise I will not harm you." He lifted his ears and listened.


"Speech."
"Thoughts."

@Kielo
@Winter

It was with an almost cognizant level of commitment that the storm lingered above the gathered gemlings. The energy vortex that swirled through the bulk of the room, condensing on the ceiling, did not seem to notice the drifting smog that had collected here. But why would it! It was just a storm, right? Made of magicka sure, but a storm nonetheless, and storms could not see, they could not react the way a gembound might. Unless...

Kielo's ears perked as the other Gembound's hissing sound faded into silence, except for the magic crackling above them. Kielo paid that no heed, their tongue poking out between small white fangs in an encouraging little grin. They waited awhile for their response, and though they thought they heard a distant shout over the sound of the magickal storm, the commitment to their cause in comforting the newest addition to the caves was simply too great.

The young one paused, wings trembling at their shoulders, listening, eyelids flickering. One avian forepawpaw lifted, and then the other, expectation and hope swelling in their breast. And then... a voice; young, and faint, and small in the dark. Kielo could have jumped for joy, but they didn't for fear of frightening them, their feathers trembling with excitement.

Unfortunately, they didn't have an answer to their question, and giggled nervously. They didn't even know what they looked like! "I... I don't know!" they replied honestly. They tilted their head slightly, and continued to speak. "Do you know what you are?"

When they had finished speaking, another voice reached their ears, causing the feathered tips to tremble, their head twisting so that they could listen better. With its closeness, they finally recognized the voice truly, and it brought joy to their young heart. "Azar? Azar! I'm over here! what's wrong?" they called, trying not to raise their voice too loud, or appear too nervous. Then they turned their head back towards where they assumed the new arrival was settled. "D-don't worry, my friend is coming- you'll like them, I promise!"

As the storm intensified high above, Kielo remained peacefully oblivious.

---

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts look like this."

tags: @Winter
notes: here