Blackberry trusted Blueberry, even though she would never admit it. He had proved himself time and time again. This, this was the most important thing she had ever trusted him with and it made her nervous and anxious to go back to the tunnel without the crystals. But he had been in pursuit of the creature. He had gone first. She knew he would handle himself and return with their three children. She knew he would.

Still, by the time she had gotten back to the tunnel with Mulberry following behind her, she was seething again, hissing every so often and her feathers and quills fluffed up angrily. She had always been able to fight an opponent head on. Any fears she had could be destroyed, crushed, and soaked in their blood. But now she could do nothing but wait. If she left the cave, Blueberry would probably come back without her. And that would be unfortunate.

So she paced around the ruined nest, wondering when Blueberry would get back. She needed her children back! They'd be hatching soon!


___________________________________________________________

"Lock the doors and close the blinds"
We're going for a ride.

tags: @Blueberry @Kitaka
notes:

Blue had made it back to the tunnel, and just in time. He had needed to upgrade the sack as his children had grown into the chrysali, and they were quite heavy. However, he stopped as soon as he saw his mate, and the hyena child he had with her. Spawn of the insane Giggle? He thought to himself but didn't speak out loud. Instead, he beckoned Jayberry forth and shrugged the pack gently off his body.

"Blackberry, I'm so sorry I left you. I should have been better. A Komodo thoug, it tricked me with magic and stole the children. I should have been more vigilant." He explained,then cast a glance at Jayberry. "This is Jayberry, I found her after I took back the kids from the lizard. She wanted to come with me."

Blue looked back at Blackberry, now at a loss for words. The moose averted his gaze to the ground, ashamed but proud at the same time.

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: here
Notes: here

BANEBERRY
I COULD KEEP YOU WARM, AS LONG AS YOU CAN JUST TRY TO BE BRAVE

From the day magic was infused into the gem of its mother, the hybrid had been waiting for the day to hatch. However, at first, it was just a tiny bit of consciousness in a sliver of dumortierite.Asit grew, and developed, it became self-aware, and it learned it was a she. She learned that, from the blurred pictures she saw after her eyes had developed, she might not be like others. The thought scared the biggest of the three hybrids.

However, that never stopped the day from coming. The bumping against her siblings and her father's voice, which she had heard muffled and quiet through the chrysalis walls, woke her, she felt it was time. She knew that the walls around her wouldn't grow, as she would, and she'd end up suffocating. So, the little hybrid stuck out with small wing-limbs, attacking the walls of the blue chrysalis.

After a few minutes, the rock cracked open, and the hybrid was free. She crawled out from the wreckage, eyes adjusting to the new light. She stretched her wings, shaking vigorously to get off the goop, small armored face looking at a strange looking goose, who was her mother. ”H-hi.“


”I'm trying my best.“
Aren't you proud?
Tags: @Blackberry @Kitaka
Notes: here

Despite the anxiety that pumped off of Blackberry in unseen waves, the hyena was at ease. She didn't delve into the reasons for why her friend was feeling off, or where they were going. All that mattered to her was that she was getting to go, and that every step they took was to somewhere new! New smells, new sights, new sounds, they washed over her and kept her mind busy.

Even when the pair stopped, and the goose began to pace, Kitaka kept herself occupied. She sniffed along the tunnel floor, which seemed particularly saturated with scents here, before turning toward the wall where the nest was. She didn't recognize the nest for what it was, she had always slept on the floor, but she recognized the scent of the goose. There was another scent here too, just as strong....

With her nose buried in the remains of the nest, she didn't notice Blueberry's arrival until he spoke. The deep rumbling tones spooked her, making Kit jolt and then spin around. Her hackles raised instinctively, and her lip curled in the beginning of a snarl. Then she realized that the scent of the new arrival was the same one in the nest. In that same moment, she also realized that the massive Gembound was not alone.

A small figure, similar in appearance to herself, appeared from behind the moose's long, gangly legs. They were even skinnier than her own, Kitaka noted fleetingly, before focusing on the canine again. Her dark brown eyes narrowed at the other Gemling as a wave of possessive washed over her. Instinctively, she stepped closer to Blackberry, her head lowering, not in submission, but in a defensive position.

Had it not been for the sudden crack that wrought the air, the hyena might have snarled out a warning to the other pup. Instead, the sound had her jerking her head back up, ears pricked as her gaze flicked about curiously. What was that, she wondered, just before her gaze found the movement in the thing the moose had set down. Something is in there, she thought, her hackles rising again. Something alive.

@Elderberry

Unlike its sibling, one of the smaller hybrids did not hear anything from within its shell. It did not feel anything. If it did, it would not remember a thing. That is, until it's gem hit the ground.

It was only half developed when it woke up, ready to hatch. But it wasn't strong enough to even move, much less break the gem. It didn't realize, yet, that it was supposed to go anywhere. It still had enough life support to get it through until it was fully developed. When Reseda had lost control and the gems had gone flying, this one had hit the ground hard, jolting awake the little one.

It waited, dormant, for something to happen; awake, but not fully conscious. Sounds we're around it, everywhere, but they were no sounds it could understand yet. Barely any light shone through the crystal because of its dark tones. It could see, though, and it could hear. It did not know what it was waiting for.

Perhaps it was this long wakefulness that would be the cause. Perhaps it was the hit itself. Perhaps it's mental development had been fractured. Perhaps none or all would be the reason for its difficulties, for the problems to come.

It was the crack that convinced it that it was time. The crack next to it and a small, chirping voice that seemed clear as day. Using its small talons, it pushed against the shell. It took a few tries before it got a decent crack and a few more before it pushed its way free. Light burst into its eyes and it screamed, pulling itself back, snapping shut its eyes. After a moment, its curiosity had the better and they crawled out, blinking in the light.

Blink blink blink. That was as fun. It did it some more. Lots of blinking and it made the light easier to see. It blinked rapidly, strangely, before locking its eyes on the strange gray striped thing in front of it. With a sudden cry that was sort of like a honk, it scrambled forward towards the hyena, its nose twitching and its eyes blinking rapidly. "Whaaaaaa" it screamed, strangely before collapsing in front of her, right at her paws.

Blueberry, Jayberry decided, she liked. He was big, but kind, gentle for such a large beast. She was curious as to what was on his back, but understood that they were precious to him, and so didn't agitate them, although seeing them grow she was nearly desperate to see inside them.

And Blueberry had even offered her a family! Said that his Mate would like to have her join them, along with their oncoming children. Being a newborn, she didn't know any different, and so accepted. And so he had brought her here, to Tunnel N. She was small, but he was relatively slow due to his size, so she didn't worry about falling behind, even if she got distracted by this or that.

So distracted was she by the sweet smells of the tunnel, looking around to try and see the lights that danced at the peripheries of her vision, that she walked clear into Blueberry's legs when he came to a sudden stop. Shaking her head, she stumbled back, before peering around him to see what had made him stop.

Ahead of them was an odd-looking beast, winged and taloned, with a funny looking stomach. Near it was a dog-like creature not unlike herself, who seemed to instantly become hostile, lowering its head angrily. Jayberry wagged her tail in an attempt at kindness, calling out "Hello!"

Before anything further could happen, however, there was a sudden, loud Crack! Jay looked around, before noticing movement from what Blueberry had been carrying. She took a hesitant step forward, tilting her head from side to side upon seeing a truly odd-looking beast, with wings, horns, and a funny looking thing on its face.

@Blackberry

As though in response to the sounds of breaking crystal, the final chrysalis of Blackberry and Blueberry's kin seemed to quiver in a quiet response, the newborn inside finally stirring into consciousness. Feeling the walls tight and claustrophobic around it and its long infant neck pressed uncomfortably to its chest, the young one opened its beak and strained against the amniotic fluid, beginning to squirm. Sounds reached the unborn child from outside, and newborn curiosity stirred, but was dwarfed by the desire to be free of these constricting walls.

The little one flexed and squirmed, before a satisfying crack finally greeted its efforts. Bubbles began to creep into the blue-tinged stone, fluid leaking out from within. The little one's efforts redoubled, its beak clinking against the chip, knocking out more tiny fragments.

One final strain, and the walls creaked, and finally gave way. A bedraggled lump, half downy grey feathers and half dark brown fur, flopped out, small head wobbling on long neck. dark green eyes flitted about in quiet confusion for a while, and it struggled to reclaim control its splayed legs, only to slump forward. Its own weight was something thoroughly alien.

Small, moisture-slicked ears pricked to its sibling's long wail, but instead of joining in, it simply turned to watch in quiet solidarity, taking in everything as its blurry eyes adjusted. Once again, the newly born hybrid began making an effort to gather its legs beneath it.

@Blackberry @Blueberry

Blackberry whipped around at the familiar sound of the clopping of hooves. Blueberry was approaching and, from the look of it, with their children on his back. Both relief and fury washed over her. Relief to see her children and the moose again, fury because the worry had made her sick. And fury at the lizard who had taken them from her. She did not know them, she did not know what they looked like, but they would pay. She would tear them apart.

But it seemed that Blueberry had someone following behind. She narrowed her eyes. Another child to adopt? They were going to have quite the family! She looked over Jayberry, curiously. She looked strong and she looked happy. Just like Mulberry, who has started growling at her side. She looked at the hyena and leaned down, giving her a small bump on her shoulder with the smooth part of her beak. "Hush, Mulberry. This is your family now." She stood tall again and looked towards Blueberry. "The one who took them," she snarled, "They will die. I promise you that. But I understand - I went looking for them as well. This is Mulberry. She seems to have developed an affection for me." She pointed with her wings towards the hyena, her head raised proudly. "I'll raise her as part of the family and we will raise Jayberry too. A family of berries and blood."

She was about to continue when a crack split the air. She froze and stared, wide-eyed at the crystal on the ground. Could it be? Had the union of the parents and their adopted children beckoned them from their sleep? Was something going wrong? Anticipation and fear washed over her body. Everything that had made her uneasy the past cycle came back. What would they look like? Would they be freaks of nature? Deranged? Terrible?

She watched, amazed, as three small creatures burst from their shells (although one was a bit bigger) and all the fears were gone. They looked odd compared to the people standing around, but they were not as horrifying as she had imagined. She could see herself in some of them, the plated beak and feathers in the first, the talons and wings in the second, and the long neck and quills in the last. Yes, three children from her and Blueberry. They were perfect.

She watched as the first tumbled towards her feet. Warmth sparked in her chest at its first word, directed towards her. "Hello, little one. Hello...Baneberry." She leaned down and placed her beak against its head, closing her eyes at the warmth in its skin. This was surreal. She had never imagined she could feel like this, love like this. But this was...more then she could have imagined. And its name...it was great and mighty. It would be the bane of many. Yes, strong limbs and claws. They would be a powerful fighter.

At the scream, she snapped her head and watched the second stumble towards Mulberry. She smiled. Spirited! She stepped back to the hyena and gave her a gentle nudge. "That's your sibling, Mulberry. Huckleberry." She leaned down and gave it a gentle nudge with her beak, welcoming it to the world. It was not as big as Baneberry, but she saw the talons and the potential for strength. Yes, with training they would fight as well.

The last, the quiet one, she approached, her head leaned down to look at it. It was the strangest looking one and definitely the most obvious moose and goose. But she watched it try to stand, moving forward quicker then the others. She smiled and leaned down to help it to its feet. "And you will be Elderberry, little one."

Once she had welcomed them, she stepped back towards Blueberry and leaned into his chest. Emotions were running high in the goose's body and she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. But she knew that she loved them, all of them, and she would do anything for them, as well as their father.


___________________________________________________________

"Lock the doors and close the blinds"
We're going for a ride.

tags: @Blueberry @Kitaka
notes:

Blue wasn't sure how he felt when his children hatched. One by one, they spilled forth. One of them, the first, had wings and a moose head. It was big, and strong looking. However, shock rendered him speechless. These, these were his children. His pride. He loved them. He loved his small family. Blackberry, Jayberry, Mulberry, and... and Baneberry.

A shout was heard as the second child welcomed itself into the world, wings on its back, talons for front feet, hooves for the back, and mostly moose everywhere else, it was an elegant and beautiful creature. It almost seemed natural, and yet not. Blueberry loved it all the same. "Hello little Huckleberry. I'm your Da." He cooed softly, rubbing his head gently across its back.

Another crack was heard, and what tumbled out was surprisingly not winged, and also not speaking or yelling. It had a goose's neck and head, but a moose's body. A true mixture of moose and goose. Blackberry gave it the name Elderberry, and he couldn't agree more. This one seemed quiet, and wise beyond his years.

Blackberry pressed herself agains him, and he nuzzled her in return. Green eyes peered down a this children, from Mulberry, to Elderberry, to Jayberry, to Huckleberry, and Baneberry. His children. His family. He would protect them with his life, and help them learn to becomethe best of beasts.
____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: here
Notes: here

BANEBERRY
I COULD KEEP YOU WARM, AS LONG AS YOU CAN JUST TRY TO BE BRAVE

Black and green eyes stared into red tinted ones. The little moosegoose grinned, loving its name. A name fit for a protector. As her siblings spilled out of their own chrysali, she crawled forward, her upper arm muscles the only way she could move, nuzzling each one gently and kindly.

However, she saw two other creature that weren't like them. They weren't like Da, or the goose who she guessed was her mother, but they looked normal and small. And she didn't like it. Bane let out alow grumble-honk, standing next to her siblings, spreading her wings to try and protect them. ”Mine.“

”I'm trying my best.“
Aren't you proud?
Tags: @Kitaka
Notes: here