Huckleberry was hiding in the shadows. She had her eye glued to the opening of the cave not far away, terrified that someone would emerge, looking for her. That her absence would be noticed again. Blackberry had already told her off for leaving the cave, as she was still being punished for her disloyalty. But not matter how much she tried to understand, Huckleberry just couldn't wrap her head around why, exactly, she was being punished. Well...maybe it was because she almost attacked her mother. Or brought a stranger to the cave. Or ran away during a fight. Or...literally fought her mother. But still, those were forgivable, right?

Once it seemed things were clear, she turned and headed off deeper into Polaris. The cave was big. Really big. But she needed to find her. She didn't know what had made her think of Kin-Kin, but she was the only other gembound outside her family that she had really come to trust. Why? That wasn't something she could really answer. She just did. Perhaps it was her age, how she radiated wisdom and experience. Or maybe how she faced her moth unflinchingly. She needed someone like that right now.

She ran through the cave, every so often calling out Kin-Kin's name. She even sent a few thundering claps into the air, trying to find a way to let the wolf know that she was here, she was looking for her. She dearly hoped that the family would not be able to hear her spells, though.

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin was lazing. Between excursions to other parts of the cave, she’d return to Polaris and her den there, or her secluded cave in Orion marked with crystalline gargoyles representing herself in all her glistening glory. Today was no different. She dozed, paws dangling lightly from the entrance of her den. But her ears soon pricked to a distant sound- a booming thunderclap causing the fur down her spine to prickle upright.

She raised her head and peered out- half-expecting to see stormclouds gathering in that strange formation that had once sought out magic. Or maybe some distant scrap between Gembounds- not an uncommon event by any means, but always an interesting one. But, none of that greeted her as far as she could see. Ears relaxing, Kin-Kin lowered her head back down onto her paws and prepared once again to doze.

That, too, was short lived. A voice reached her ears and she once again shot upright. This time, though, she didn’t intend to lie back down. Next thing she knew, she was leaving her den, shaking clinging threads of moss from her glowing fur, and stretching as she rose. Black nose twitched as she sniffed the air, chose a direction, and walked. No matter what she tried, she couldn’t help a sneaking pang of concern, mostly dwarfed by curiosity - the voice was familiar, but different. Really, it was the name they called that cemented it.

The last she’d heard it, circumstances had been less than ideal, but that was cycles ago. Had that... ‘mother’ come to bite Kin-Kin’s tongue for her? Were they using her pride to lure her out? So be it. Kin-Kin was ready to be hailed a hero, or have to prove it again. She didn’t care which. She was bored, anyway.

After one final ring of her name, Kin-Kin finally came to a halt as the winged creature came into view. She moved with a certain sureness, her gaze steely for now, but not cold. She made a scene of a long glance around, letting it be known that if the family lay in waiting, she was expecting them. When she finished, she finally turned back to the hybrid, flashing them her signature wolfish grin. A playful spark crept into her violet eyes. She settled back on her haunches and curled her tail over her paws. The crystal wrapped around her forelimb cast rainbow sparks of light onto the world around them.

”You’ve grown, kid! Been a while, huh?”

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@huckleberry

Huckleberry froze at the sound of padding pawsteps. They could smell something on the air, but it had been so long since their meeting with Kin-Kin that they barely remembered her smell at this point. Was it her or some other creature, called forward by their shouts and thunderings? For a moment, Huckleberry hoped that it was an enemy, so that they could tear it apart, rip it to pieces with their magic. Do what they had been raised to do. And then they wouldn't feel so guilty meeting someone that mother didn't approve of.

But a part of them knew that they couldn't. They didn't want to. Blood had always been so unsavory to them. Besides, they had made their choice to come out here and at least talk to the wolf. They took a deep breath and steeled themselves.

The glow gave her away before she even appeared and they breathed a sigh of relief. Her size was a little shocking to them though. They were actually taller then her now - had they really grown that much?

"Hi, Kin-Kin," they greeted a little sheepishly. For a moment they were quiet before they finally sat themselves down as well, not daring to move any closer, although they didn't know why they were suddenly so shy. "Y-yeah, I haven't seen you in a while. Um..." they looked away, not really sure where to begin, so they airily just commented, "You look well."

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin nodded, taking in the sight of the odd hybrid. They'd certainly changed- they seemed a lot calmer now, especially. Though perhaps that came with healing. Their voice was deeper. Their body, she thought, looked like it had reached adulthood. Kin-Kin grinned as they said that she looked well, her ears lifting slightly. Huckleberry looked nervous, so Kin-Kin tried to let her own ease soothe the mood. She swished her tail, shoulders relaxing. "So do you!"

She paused, thinking for a moment. Their last parting hadn't exactly been on good terms- she'd barely even had the chance to say goodbye, and Kin-Kin had since hoped that her actions hadn't resulted in undue punishment for the young one. She hadn't liked their mother; not one bit. The goose had her head wedged so far up her ass that she might as well have existed in her own reality. But it wasn't the kid's fault. She was flattered that they'd come looking for her, but the motive behind it concerned her.

"So... 'Sup? How's family life treatin' ya?"

Her gaze trailed over the hybrid's face, peering closely. Was that a scar, or just her imagination?

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry flinched at bit at Kin-Kin's comment. Did they really look well? They wondered if the scars on their side were healed or if the one on their face was hidden. They didn't know - they hadn't dared to look at their reflection in a while. They were scared to see what they'd become. But Kin-Kin, on the contrary, looked as strong as ever. She wasn't scary like mother, but she radiated a golden power. Hope. This was what they were looking for.

Their courage seemed to strengthen for a second, but at the mention of their family, they faltered. She had figured it out, hadn't she? Or maybe she was just wondering. Either way, it was time to speak. Small talk wasn't going to go far.

They took a deep breath, closed their eyes for a second to steady themselves, and then faced Kin-Kin and began to speak. "It was fine...but now it's not. My family has their own way of doing things and I, uh, I don't think I agree with them. I came because I just, I want to know, what's it like? Being you? All proud and good and stuff? Do you help people? What's that like?"

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin's eyes caught Huckleberry's flinch. She wondered briefly why, but was certain she already knew. After all, the scars were new. But they had grown, and were a formidable size, towering over her at almost double the height. They'd been about the same size when the pair had last met, but size meant little when compared with age. And Kin-Kin knew there were few unscarred creatures in the cave; even her golden pelt hid a few.

Kin-Kin tilted her head slightly as the younger Gembound prepared to speak, and the ache of concern deepened. She was certain she knew where it was going, but she hoped she'd be proven wrong. Kin-Kin knew little of family life. Although she ached for attention, thriving on praise and wonder- really, a pack animal at heart- she hated the thought of ever being tied down. She wasn't one to critique someone's parenting style. But after spending so much time with Imperia, Aaliyah- and so, so many newborns over the dozens of cycles she'd lived- she knew a bad sign when she saw one. Kin-Kin's tail flicked as she listened, considering their words with a soft "hmmm".

"...I see." She paused for a moment, thinking. Then she nodded. There was mild relief that Huckleberry hadn't asked for family advice; at least not yet. It gave her time to think about that. In the meantime, the question they had posed was alluring; Kin-Kin loved to talk about herself. But never, she realized, had she ever talked much about her life before. the way she'd lived. How far she'd come.

"What it's like being me, huh?" she echoed, gaze drifting slightly in thought to the lights beyond the hybrid. "Well, in ways, it's like everyone else's. Has its ups and downs. But it's really what I make of it. I spend the cycles mostly training. Every so often I'll pick up a youngster, and I'll teach 'em some tricks on how to survive. Or... like you, if someone's needin' it, I'll help 'em back on their way." True, her deeds mostly had their roots in pride and reputation, but she was still helping, wasn't she? She wasn't just a pretty face. "I'd say I'm a free spirit. Nothin' can hold me down. I ain't got no family like you- the folks I meet along the way are usually enough. It can be lonely, sure. And not as many gems know my name now as they used to- but if things get rough, I can just... move along and start fresh. Make my own way, y'know? I'd never be able to live with someone tellin' me what to do all the time."

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Huckleberry

Huckleberry listened to Kin-Kin with eyes wide and threatening tears. To hear about how a gembound outside the confines of their family lived was amazing and it made them realize how different life with the Bloodberries was. Everything there was about training to kill and protecting the family. Stepping out of line was cause for punishment. Defying mother was extremely dangerous. Huckleberry didn't know if the others felt the same, but they were scared.

"So...you do whatever you like? And there's no consequences? Like...if you came up with a really bad idea like attacking the Spire, nobody would be there to tell you you couldn't?" The thought was both terrifying and extremely elating - to think, a life like that could exist for Huckleberry. Well, perhaps not for them. Surely the family would kill them if they left. But that was swept away when they realized a part of their speech that they couldn't ignore. "Wait, are you, like, famous or something?" Their eyes sparkled and, suddenly, they weren't so down anymore and instead, were standing with excitement. "Wow, to think, I'm friends with a real life celebrity!" The thought made them so excited, until they realized that it was very possible that Mama was famous too...for very different reasons.

They sat down, returning to their previous hunched position. After a second of silence, of fighting themselves to even say it out loud, there came the question they had always wanted to ask. "Kin-Kin? Have you ever...killed someone before?"

@Kin-Kin

"Well... the spire makes its own consequences. But sure, you could do it. Ain't no-one gonna stop ya." Kin-Kin said with a shrug. Even with her power, venturing too close to the spire seemed like a bad idea. She'd seen a couple of gems try it from the safety of her den, and it had never gone well.

When the conversation changed to her celebrity status, Kin-Kin grinned wryly. "I suppose you could say that. I..." she hesitated. "...used to be a champion- I earned my name by being the best magician the caves had ever seen. But that was a long time ago." She grinned, more proudly this time. "I'm certain there was a time when not a single Gembound hadn't heard my name. Either I'd taught them, or I'd met them, or they'd just heard of me, somehow. I was a pretty big deal."

Kin-Kin cast a glance towards the crystal river. It felt strange to say was. Painful, almost. She missed those days, when pride was the driving force, the only thing that mattered. When she'd left her old self behind in the dust and knew that she'd abandoned it forever. But now... it had crept back up to bite her. She still had her dignity, but her pride had been chipped at. Slowly and steadily, she felt like she was leaving pieces of it behind. But she was still her; her pride might have been chipped, but she'd put it back together even stronger. She was always fighting for her pride, patching it up, making it stronger. She didn't think it'd ever shatter completely. And she hoped, that if it ever did come, she'd be able to rise up again, stronger than ever before, and claw it back.

Kin-Kin looked back at Huckleberry as the hybrid presented their final question. Kin-Kin thought back, casting her mind back over the cycles, but she already knew what the answer was. "Nah. I've fought. Everyone's fought; but me, never to the death. I hunt for food, but never killed anything that talked." She paused, thinking back to the one death she'd seen of a greater Gembound; the peacock, who she'd then buried. An unconscious shiver ran down her spine. "...But, ask if any of my friends have killed, that'd be a different story." Her and Imperia's relationship had been a rocky road for sure; in the beginning, the caracal had vowed to be the one to finally destroy her. But they never had. The pair had met since, but hadn't fought properly in many cycles. Kin-Kin knew better than anyone the caracal's savagery, but she'd also been one of the few to witness a more neutral side.

Kin-Kin wondered how Imperia felt about the goose's little plot; the crazed mother goose almost reminded Kin-Kin of them back in their youth. Only, Kin-Kin was certain that Imperia was more organized. It wasn't hard, though.

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Huckleberry

For a moment, Huckleberry's eyes sparkled. Kin-Kin was a celebrity! Not only that, she was probably a hero! The thought made Huckleberry feel so special for having befriended such an amazing creature, but then all of their doubts returned as Kin-Kin answered their dreaded question. A hero, an idol, and they had never killed. Already, Huckleberry knew that they could never be like Kin-Kin. Never.

They shivered. How could they ever tell Kin-Kin the terrible truth about themselves? That they weren't just a child of a murderer, they were a murderer. That was an unforgivable act. The person they had killed would never come back. The bird may be revived, but it would never be the same. The life was over and Huckleberry had ended it with their own jaws.

Tears collected at the corner of their eyes, but they couldn't. No, they couldn't cry! Not in front of Kin-Kin! They had to be strong, they had to face up and own up to their mistakes! They deserved no pity, none at all. They had killed! Killed for Blackberry! Killed for nothing!

And suddenly all of their emotions pooled up at once and the tears ran dry as their sides began to shake. It came on suddenly, a loud burst of laughter that went on for far too long. Their legs shivered as they crumpled to the ground, unable to stop their choking laughter. And through it all, they still managed to cry out. "I've killed! I killed a helpless bird! You should have seen it! I grabbed her in my mouth and snapped her neck! She couldn't do anything! And there was blood in my mouth..."

The memory surfaced and it was too much for them to handle. They turned and shot away, barely making it behind a rock before they retched, their last meal coming up all at once, as if to expel the taste of blood that had long since disappeared from their tongue. Once it had ended, they stood there, shivering, no longer crying out with laughter. They couldn't believe that they had done this...been sick in front of Kin-Kin, who they respected even more than their own mother...

@Kin-Kin

Kin-Kin was more surprised by the hybrid's outburst than she was by their inevitable answer. Her ears perked first to their violent outburst of laughter, her jaw opening slightly as she waited for it to stop. She could guess what the hybrid was going to say next, but her face remained even. The smile she wore, though, had long since faded. She waited patiently for the outburst to pass- but couldn't stop herself from wincing as the young one lost their lunch behind a rock. Her ears lowered slightly, her own stomach clenching slightly.

She waited for a while for the hybrid to return, but when they didn't- Kin-Kin slowly rose to her paws and padded after, a little stiffly, her pace slow and cautious. "Hey," she offered warily, as she came near- though not near enough to see the vomit- the smell of bile was already making her senses reel. "Feelin' better?"

She slowly, but surely, sat herself down and wondered vaguely what she'd gotten herself into. It seemed that Huckleberry was shaping up to be a bigger commitment than she'd ever dealt with before- something that made her nervous. But she couldn't exactly just leave, not now. She felt as though the kid needed her- and she felt, at least slightly responsible for the mother goose's anger towards them.

"Y'know, kid. Even if I haven't killed myself, I know some peeps who have. Heck; way back when I was a kid, I met a crazy cub who wanted to fight me. I won, of course, but they said to me after- "one day I'll rip you apart,"... they promised to be the one to destroy me, one day. We've fought again and again. They've killed, they've beaten gems into whimpering pulps- and they've fought me two- three- four times? I've lost count. But would you know it? We're good friends now. Doesn't change the fact that they've killed. And heck, they probably would again in a heartbeat. I'm a special case. But my point is, kid- I don't care what you've done. You do you. Unless I get swept up in it, I ain't gonna judge."

---

When I speak.

When I think.

@Huckleberry