Blackberry's cruelty had perhaps reached an all-time high. They had both known that this would be the time. A cycle had passed since her and Huckleberry's scuffle and their killing of the magpie by her command. Enough time for the hybrid within the gem to fully mature. It would hatch soon and Blackberry had forbidden Huckleberry to attend.

They had screeched, they had cried, they had begged, but she was unmovable. They would not be there to witness Cloudberry's hatching. That gemling would be hers and hers alone. After all, they had given it to her. Now that they were trying to take it back? Now that was insulting. Blackberry's talons dug into the earth at just the thought of them trying to steal the gem away from her. She had caught them once and had given them a good thrashing. They hadn't tried again.

She looked over at the deep sapphire and wondered if the thing inside could see or hear. She doubted it - after all, she couldn't remember anything from when she was in the chrysalis before she had hatched. She remembered waking up and that was it. There was no way any of Huckleberry's words or actions had gotten through.

But that was enough thoughts about her traitorous child. The time was arriving soon. She turned her thoughts to Cloudberry and their imminent arrival. It was always exciting to take in a new child to the family and always an experience raising them. She had a feeling that this one would be special.

@Cloudberry
for when you're ready

Xe was sleeping.

Xe had always been sleeping. Xe had always been curled up within the soft sapphire of their chrysalis, unaware of anything but a dim, soft bleakness.

And then, suddenly, xe was not sleeping. Xe was awake, aware, excited, and xe wanted out. There was a something out there, and xe wanted to meet it.

Xe lashed out, kicking at their chrysalis wall as instinct guided them. Hooves met gemstone, and the chrysalis cracked, letting a cascade of sound rush inside, almost deafening to a newborn like xir. Xe reveled in the noise, pulling xir wings forward to grasp through the cracks and pull them apart. The chrysalis couldn't take the effort anymore- it crumbled, letting the scrawny, newborn chalf burst free.

@Blackberry

Blackberry narrowed her eyes as the crystal began to crack, warily casting a glance around her to make sure that Huckleberry hadn't decided to intrude. She watched the creature tumble out and found herself pleased by their appearance. She could see herself in them, she could see Blueberry in them, and she could see the magpie as well.

As the little wet newborn tumbled out in front of her, she didn't move away, instead letting them bump against her, feeling some of the fluids stick to her feathers. But she didn't mind. This was a very special child, after all.

She leaned down and carefully nosed the little creature with the smooth side of her beak. "Cloudberry. I have been waiting a long time for you."

@Cloudberry

Xe looked up at a creature they knew, instinctively, must be xir mother. She was present at xir hatching, after all.

Xe tilted xir head, listening to xir mother's words. Cloudberry- yes that was xir name. Xe could think of no other alternative, just like xe could think of nobody else that could be xir parent.

"M- mother?" xe asked, quietly, with a soft, lilting voice.

@Blackberry

Triumph raged through Huckleberry but she let none of it show on her features. She had successfully convinced this child that she was xir mother and it had taken merely her presence alone to do the job. "Yes, my child, I am you mother." She raised her wing to gather xir close to her, against the smooth, natural feathers of her side while keeping the sharp quills of her wings as flat as she could. She wanted xir close to her so that xir could feel her warmth, trust and lover her.

But this was also her own affection that she was showing. Despite knowing that Cloudberry wasn't actually her child, xir was still her flesh and blood. And she was still posing as xir mother. The affection and bond between a mother and child lit within her once again and she pressed her neck against xir. "I'm so happy that you're here."

@Cloudberry

Cloudberry obediently snuggled beneath xir mother's wing. Xe let out a contented sound halfway between a goose's honk and a magpie's trill, cuddling up to the goose.

"Mother?" xe asked. "How long have you been waiting for me?" Xir voice was calm, relaxed, happy- as one should be, beneath their mother's wing.

In that moment, Cloudberry knew that xe loved her, and nothing could change that.

@Blackberry

Blackberry wondered if this interaction could be going any better. Not only did cloudberry have no suspicions at all that she was not xir mother, but they were actually showing xir own affection back. She felt warmth in her stomach as she pressed closer to the new-hatched child. Her family was growing.

"I have waited a cycle for you to grow and even longer for you to begin. But the wait is over now. You're part of the family, at last."

@Cloudberry

Xe looked up at Mother, xir eyes betraying nothing- emotionless voids, like calm pools of water, even though Cloudberry believed that they were wide-eyed and displaying curiosity. There were more in the family, more Gembounds to meet?

"Who are my siblings?" xe asked. After a moment's pause to think, they continued. "Can I meet them?"

@Blackberry (tfw you post with the wrong account)

Blackberry stared back into those eyes, those dead, lifeless eyes and suppressed a shiver. She felt a sudden feeling of nervousness - was there something wrong with Cloudberry? Of course, xir parent was Huckleberry after all and xir other parent had seemed to have some kind of brain damage. It wasn't only possible but probably likely. Well, nobody in the family was perfectly normal. Blackberry pushed the thought aside. This would not change anything.

"Yes of course you can." With great effort, Blackberry pulled herself away from Cloudberry's side and stood, walking a few steps away before she stretched her neck up and let out a shrieking cry - the sound that announced a family meeting would take place. The sound would carry across the tunnel and perhaps into Orion and Polaris as well. If they were nearby, they would hear the call.

She sat down again and pulled them close, her eyes sharply watching out for any movement of Huckleberry. If they dared betray the secret, they would be sorry.

@Jayberry @Snowberry @Blueberry @Dewberry @Cloudberry @Hellberry (if you are okay with timeline errors)

Jayberry leaped to her feet, snapping from a dead sleep to wide awake in moments.

Only mother could snap her away like that, and she didn't even take a moment to blink away or straighten out her fur before beginning to run.

The cry was not one of alarm, or fear. Not a call to battle or protect. But a call to gather, to meet the rest of the family. So she hurried, legs stretching out with each stride, ignoring the painful stretch of unreadied muscles.

She skidded around the corner, slowing when she saw mother. A soft "Oh," came from her throat, and she smiled at the sight of mother and the newborn hatchling. "Oh, hello." she called quietly, before turning to Mother. "Congratulations, Mother."

Then, to the baby, "Welcome to the family, my name is Jayberry. I will protect you until you can fend for yourself, and even beyond then."

@Blackberry
@Cloudberry

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