Luster hadn't seen Mama in ages.

But she had been working, and trying so hard. Her spell, she had learned, was capable of healing the sick. And she hoped, oh she hoped, it could help Mama. She had helped Lessers - before she ate them. Had even helped a Greater or two. But she feared that the spell wouldn't work on Mama, and so she had stayed away as she practiced.

But now she was back in Orion. She hadn't seen Mama yet - she was still afraid her spell wouldn't help. After all, her spell had been used on sick Gembounds, but not like Mama. Mama was sickened by her gem, which sat on her head.

And so the hybrid had found a green rock that looked similar to Mama's gem, caught the biggest spider she could, and jammed it into the spider's head. It still twitched and tried to walk, only kept in place by her paws. It was the closest she could get to Mama, and she was going to try!

So she grabbed the spider between her paws, pressed her nose to it, and focused. Her magic flowed into it, and she felt it, but when she opened her eyes the spasming spider was still spasming. Luster whined, and whacked it away with her paw, tears trickling down her face, as she covered her muzzle with her paw. She couldn't do it, she couldn't help Mama.

"Speaking." 'Thinking.'

The hybrid scowled, shaking her head. It wasn't fair, at all!

She stumbled to her feet, reaching up to wipe the tears from her face. She would do this, would help Mama, no matter what would happen! Even if it helped her, she would save Mama!

The spider was skittering, stumbling as it tried to walk, so it was easy for her to catch up to it, even as she hiccuped and fought to catch her breath. But she was on it, and pinned it beneath her paw, forcing her Magic into it, desperate willing it to work. Opening her eyes that she hadn't realized she'd closed, she stared down at the twitching spider--had it stopped twitching? even just a little?

"Speaking." 'Thinking.'