Kin-Kin let out a sharp laugh at their insistence that they'd one day be bigger than her, but she raised a paw, waving it dismissively. "Sure, kid! Keep dreamin' and one day I might believe you," she said condescendingly, her flagrant glow brightening in mirth.

Their reaction to her jewel was unexpected; she'd never seen a kid so disappointed with such a pretty gift, and from her no less!

Spoiled kid. You'd think it'd appreciate the effort, at least. And look at that gem! That's a good one. I put my heart into that! Kin-Kin's thoughts muttered subconsciously to Imperia, as she began to grow worried that this kid wouldn't give her the praise she was after. But the wolf supposed that seeing the barely-disguised rage at her remarks was enough. it would be amusing, anyway, to see just how long it took for this kid to crack.

Yeah, that's a spoiled kid, alright. Aaliyah raised them. Good luck getting them to appreciate anything.

Kin-Kin could have sworn that Imperia's mentality carried a trace of bitterness, but she couldn't really be sure. Is that so? Kin-Kin asked curiously, remembering briefly meeting Aaliyah many cycles ago. She didn't say anything about it, though. Instead, curiosity filled her. no wonder Imperia seemed to hate this kid. What does that make you, then?

I have... no idea. Grandparent, I guess. I want nothing to do with that brat, though.

Kin-Kin could never have pictured Imperia as a grandparent, and the thought sent amusement washing over their link. Seems to me like they need a little tough love, huh? And you don't strike me as the type to pass up that kinda opportunity, Kin-Kin joked.

I'm done with doing anything that involves raising someone. Besides, I doubt Aaliyah wants me anywhere near them.

Mm. Suit yourself.

What didn't disappoint her, though, was the weasel’s eagerness to see one of her lightshows. She could get behind that. And she supposed that it didn't matter too much if she didn't bauble the gem. That could always wait until later. Kin-Kin focused, preparing to warm up by performing the trick that had failed before. She reached into her gem, and her glow darkened until it was barely noticeable. but the magic drifted just out of her reach, and she soon lost her grip, her glow returning just as bright as it had been before.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

As her magic's failure became imminent, the wolf raised her head, risking a glance at the weasel, and before they could call her a failure, returned to her efforts, tail flicking in concentration. She couldn't fail this! Not now!

Kin-Kin's persistence soon paid off; flickering flames danced up from the fur along her back, a deep and vibrant orange. Ever changing and growing, they hung around her, a ghostly inferno without any semblance of warmth or smell of burning. She glanced briefly at the weasel, and then puffed out, allowing the illusion to extend to the very edge of her glow, taking root on the ground around her before beginning to crumble into a faint orange mist. Within moments, the inferno had faded into darkness, her usual golden glow steadily returning as time went on.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

the sheer volume of insults trickling in was starting to get to Envy, but they held back their tears and turned it into anger instead. "You will! I swear you will! And when that day comes, you'll be sorry!" they snapped, relieved that their voice didn't betray them by breaking, although it was a little high pitched with their anger.

I seriously doubt that, came Dezba's snide response, causing them to bristle anew.

Watch your tongue! That sentiment applies to you, too.

The weasel tried once again to push the wolf's consciousness to the back of their mind, pouring all of their acting ability into changing indignance and hurt into anger. they couldn't appear weak anymore, if not in front of Kin-Kin, certainly not in front of Dezba.

this magic Kin-Kin's teaching me will come in useful for that. if I can make anything... things that aren't really there... what's stopping me from being the biggest and strongest in the caves?

That thought helped ease their inner turmoil a little, sending a thrill of excitement through their fur. Their gaze was drawn back to Kin-Kin as her fur began to flicker with ghostly fire which quickly spread to the world around her. It was certainly a show, but it wasn't quite what they were hoping for. Still, it was something, and... they couldn't help feeling that it might come in useful. Even if they didn't want to learn a particular magic, light meant that they could pretend to. But what was pretending compared to actually learning it? As the magic faded into darkness, Envy rubbed their paws together excitedly. "...So, light... it can make magic shows of other elements, but can it... y'know... create other things? Physical things? make it look like gems are bigger than they are, maybe? Uh... just out of curiosity."

Ooh? So you're learning to feed my plants now, are you? Dezba again... this time, though, with something useful. Plants fed on light, then? Their considerations drifted over the link. Finally, a rush of triumph.

More like starve them.

They thought for a while, turning their whole focus back onto Kin-Kin.

"Soo... could you make another me?"

"Speech."

Kin-Kin suppressed a chuckle, sensing the emotion that was just barely held out of their voice. "I'll be sure to remember that," she answered coolly, returning their anger in an amused grin. She wasn't afraid of them, obviously, but she didn't want to have to deal with her first temper tantrum. Kin-Kin didn't have the commitment for that.

At their request, Kin-Kin stopped to consider for a moment. she'd never attempted any hyper-detailed illusions before, but she felt certain that it was well within her ability. Well, no better opportunity to find out. She grinned down at the angry little weasel. "Well... I've only ever made light constructs of myself, and never hyper-realistic, but it certainly shouldn't be outside of my ability. Why don't we find out?" she asked them playfully, with a smooth wink. Despite her expression of uncertainty, she was confident in her ability to pull it off.

once again, the she-wolf called upon her magic, her glow brightening and thickening around her as she shaped it into a more solid form. The light culmulated into a shining mist beside the little weasel, colours reforming until they took on the sienna tones and darker tips of the weasel she was showing off to. And suddenly, there were two Envy's! It was easy to tell which one was real, though- Kin-Kin's replica, as well as slightly glowing, was around the size of a medium-sized dog, towering over them just like Envy had asked.

You seem smug. And here I was thinking you were uncertain about something. What'd you do this time?

I only went and made a perfect replica of them! Cool, right?

Kin-Kin raised each forepaw in turn, and the illusion followed her movements to a T. When she turned to wink at Envy smugly, so too did their doppelganger.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Envy relaxed, but only slightly, the wolf's careless grin continuing to irk them to no end. they remained silent, only letting out a quiet huff in response. "You'd better," they responded shortly, trying to turn their thoughts away from their small size. When I learn all the most powerful magics in the cave, my size won't matter. And then you'll see, whether you believe me or not! they thought to themselves, for Dezba's benefit as much as their own.

The weasel nodded eagerly as Kin-Kin spoke of testing her magicks, although there was a part of them which clamoured annoyance and impatience. Doesn't even know her own limits? Pah. Weak, they thought to themselves smugly. Envy, on the other hand, knew exactly what their magic could do, it was only when confronted with alien elements or spells that they struggled. At least, that's what they thought; it didn't occur to them that there were spells they hadn't learned, as they simply had no use for them yet. They watched closely what Kin-Kin did, watching as her glow took physical shape, and reformed into a perfect replica of themselves. At first they puffed out, coiling and twitching in excitement, but the more they looked, the more offended they felt.

"Ugh, it's so bony! that's not-!" Envy took this moment to look down, having never truly acknowledged the effect their magic was having on them. They ran their paws over their jagged ribcage and sunken belly. "...I'm a lot more handsome than that." Envy finally said, turning away from the impostor as their shoulders slightly slumped in defeat. Vaguely, they were aware of Dezba chortling with laughter in the back of their mind, carrying over the link from wherever she was elsewhere in the caves. Although they didn't show it externally, the laughter bit as deep as everything else she did, and did nothing to soothe the wound that Kin-Kin had cut in their pride.

Wh-what!? It's true!

Perhaps they'd need to find another source of sustenance.

But still... Kin-Kin's light magic did exactly what they had been looking for, and that was enough of a balm to keep their act together.

"A-anyway, that's what I meant." they said finally, looking back, and peering at the finer details of the illusion. it was hard to tell that it was only a light construct, even when they scurried closer and squinted hard. When Envy reached out a paw to touch it, though, their paw phased right through. Envy frowned. That might be a problem, but so long as they were aware of it, they could deal with it. right? "Is there anything else with light? is there a way to...you know... harvest it, or turn it into an attack?" Although it wasn't really physical, Envy wondered if there would be some way to convert it into energy to supplement their other magics, and maybe get a little less bony.

"Speech."

Kin-Kin chuckled to accent her confidence, and knowing control over the situation. Still, she left that conversation where it lay, her amusement mounting as they responded to her illusion with obvious distaste. Had they never seen themselves before? Kin-Kin looked at them incredulously. She, for one, thought that her interpretation was pretty damn spot on!

"What? too on-the-nose for ya? What do you want me to do? Give ya bulging muscles and a prettier face? Well sor-ry for not trying to flatter ya," Kin-Kin tilted her head, infinitely amused. Although to their credit, they did seem to appreciate the magic once they'd realized that it was what they'd asked. Kin-Kin watched them closely as the weasel completed their examination, then as they turned to begin asking more questions, let her grip on the magic slacken. The big weasel slowly began to dissipate into glowing mist, before vanishing entirely.

"Harvest it? Don't quote me, but that sounds more like a plant thing to me. It might exist, but if it was my element, I'd know." Kin-Kin answered, before shrugging slightly. "Well, too much light can be blinding, but I wouldn't rely on that as an only attack. Light's more about changing perceptions and puttin' on a good show." she shook her foreleg once again until the blade clinked in its sheathe. "Hence, why I made this."

I'm assuming 'this' means that sword you're always carrying. Doesn't it get tiring carrying around that thing all the time? Also, what are you guys even talking about now? Harvest? Wait, they're trying to learn everything about your magic, aren't they?

I'm used to it. and... It would seem so.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Envy bit their tongue, for once in their life stumped on how to reply. Bitter rage began to bubble in their belly, but there was no way they could say anything without sabotaging their own pride, since they suspected now that the illusion might actually be accurate. They gave the big weasel a scathing look as it dissolved into nothingness, as though it was all its fault. Finally, they turned back to Kin-Kin, pretending that they'd never made themselves look stupid.

She answered their questions, though it didn't help very much. Turned out she didn't know if light was useful as an energy source, either, and Envy was almost reluctant to start relying on plants. That was her thing. But, Envy couldn't help but think about the look on Dezba's face if they learned such a magic, and prove once and for all that they could, and that they could do anything that they wanted to do. They grinned. Did you hear that? She said it might be a plant spell. You know what that means?

They were so focused on Kin-Kin's first answer that they very nearly missed her next. No attacking with light, then? They frowned slightly. That would look cool... and plain old blinding wasn't nearly so exciting as cutting your enemies in half with a beam of sheer light solid enough to cut! "I see," they said, voice low with disappointment. They gazed jealously at the sword that she carried on her leg for a moment, but knew it was too big for them. They'd need to get her to make something for them that fit their small size, at some point. Their gaze drifted then to the round pebble of moonstone they'd dropped at their feet. As much as it disappointed them, they had to admit that it was pretty.

And it was also theirs, which meant they wouldn't give it up easy.

Envy stooped down and picked up the moonstone pebble. They had everything they needed, for now, so there was no reason to stay. They'd be able to seek out Kin-Kin again when they had a solution for getting their own weapon, or teach themselves that spell, now that they knew what it looked like. But for now, they had leeched everything they wanted from the Magickal champion, until next time.

"I'll be back," they said to her, by means of farewell, and then turned to scuttle off.

"Speech."

Kin-Kin could sense that the kid had just about finished with her long before they started to leave, but she, for one, still had one last trick up her sleeve. "Hey, kid," she called, rising onto her paws and stretching. she padded over to the weasel and focused her attention on the moonstone gem they carried. "I think I can make you appreciate that trinket a little more."

As she drew closer, she tapped into her magic as she had so many times before, and a dull blue glow started to throb, like a gentle heartbeat, from the centre of the stone. Watching until she was satisfied, Kin-Kin settled back on her haunches and watched the weasel go, ensuring that they wouldn't follow her as they had before; the warning look in her eyes said that next time, she would not be so easy to fool.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

Envy took a moment of surprise to admire the new glowing trinket that they now had in their possession. this one was so much prettier than the others that Amras and Oliver had given them, and even though it wasn't what they'd hoped for, Envy knew that this one was their favourite. They said nothing of this to Kin-Kin, though; simply transferring the object to their jaws to carry, and bounded off into the darkness.

Some time later, when they were sure they were out of sight, they turned back, and in the distance saw a pool of golden light, the wolf's glow visible from far around. A fleeting thought crossed Envy's mind then; it would take a lot to be as great as Gembounds like her, but they knew that they would one day. Greater even. Yes, one day, the caves would see. But until then, Envy would need to meet a lot more Gembounds, in order to leech their power.

Envy finally turned away, beginning the long walk back towards Orion to expand their hoard.

-exit Envy-

"Speech."

Kin-Kin's gaze followed the little light as it bobbed away into the very distance, noting it pause for some time, in the very distance. Were they considering coming back? Kin-Kin couldn't have that. Of course though, sheer generosity wasn't the only reason that she'd made their jewel glow; it also meant it'd be impossible for them to hide again, the gem glowing like a beacon in their jaws.

Kin-Kin watched until they were out of sight, but then, just to be safe, Kin-Kin raised her muzzle heavenward and let out a long and lonely howl, magic flooding out of her gem and into the cavern. Her glow extinguished itself, and then the brightness was consumed by a pitch-dark void, the room of lights plunged into darkness. Kin-Kin's tail wagged triumphantly beneath her cloak, her fangs bared in a sheer grin that would be impossible to see in this darkness.

That ought to do it, Kin-Kin thought, mostly to herself. They'll never be able to find me in this. And next time, I'll know what to look for. I ain't being snuck up on like that again.

I'm surprised someone could even sneak up on you. Then again, it's easy to see where you are, what with all that light. Though you'd think you'd be able to see with the light, even if you were in someplace dark.

Well, I've never been snuck up on by a patch of moss before. I'll know for next time, at least. And now you do, too. Tell me, have they ever pulled something like that before?

Turn themselves into moss? Nope. Though they did do a little camouflage spell, obviously trying to show off. Made their fur red instead of the usual brown.

Hmm... Interesting. I can't help but wonder what they want with light magic.

With that thought, Kin-Kin stood, and before the light had the chance to return, she began to pick her way through the dark along the well-trodden path back home.

-exit Kin-Kin-

---

When I speak.

When I think.