"This was where I first found you," Kaimana told the stone, full of life, hidden beneath many waves and layers of time being unlived. "The ocean gave you to me. I took you to Pride. He told me a little bit about you -- mainly that you were alive once, and you swam, as I do." She smiled. It wasn't alive, it hadn't been in a while, but it would be soon enough. She hoped.

Kaimana had made the trek back to this room. Back to where she'd built that sand structure alone, by the shore. So much of her life felt lonely. There was always an aching in her heart, something she couldn't explain, and yet knew and understood. She hadn't known what to do about it. Until now.

"Pride said I could give you a new life." She'd been talking to this stone like it had had a functioning mind and soul, ever since she learned that once upon a time, that had indeed been the case. It was better than bones. This was more than just structure. This was a true being. And talking to it... it eased that forlorn ache, somewhat. "I will try today."

The jaguar, fully grown now, looked down at the serandite between her paws. Beautiful, rosy pink, like the flesh beneath a salmon's skin. Quietly, with the kind of reverence one may give when something special is happening, when something deep and emotional occurs, she pressed her nose to the stone.

And she attempted, with what little magic she possessed, to bathe it in a new chance.

The marbled serandite took to the magic and embedded itself into the earth with ease.

In the life before this one, it was a completely alien manner of beast. It walked on two legs with webbed feet, and possessed pterosaur-like wings to balance on. A hawk-like face with numerous horns sat atop a relatively short, yet strong neck. The entirety of its stocky body had chitinous armor on it. The markings were akin to a cedar waxwing's, with a dark brown mask (#1f1005) over the face and a dark red base (#800000). The undersides were white (#dedede) and the edges of its wings were light purple (#b19cd9). Two glimmering yellow (#ffff66) eyes sat on the face, keen-sighted and attuned to the movement of fish underwater.

It was colossal, standing about eleven feet tall at its shoulders.

@Kaimana

Kaimana smiled as she felt something new leave her, traveling away. She guessed she'd done it right, then. Life... her life, in this stone. It held a part of her now, then, didn't it? For a moment, the jaguar sat there, contemplating what would happen next. It didn't look like it would be rapidly growing or anything. It still looked like just a pretty stone. But Kaimana knew better, was sure of what she had given it. She recalled the way she had hatched, the way everyone seemed to hatch, from a much larger version of the stones they often carried on their own bodies. Kaimana carried her stone on her chin, like a beard.

Perhaps she was to wait. Who knew how fast a rock could grow? She'd have to check back everyday. And you know what? She'd be glad to! Maybe she could find Glaive, or the ocean itself, bring them over to meet it... when it hatched or before then.

She'd taken care of young ones before, taken Gizmo to safety when they'd first hatched, and she'd been a young one in need of being taken care of herself. She was already beginning the preparations. Yes... this time she would have the warmth, the fish, and the bones all prepared ahead of time -- no need for anyone else to fetch them post-hatching! This creature would be birthed into a world that was ready for it, into arms already spread wide and prepared to embrace it!

Many things to do, many things to dream, many things to hope for, all before it hatched... all the thoughts were suddenly breaking through a dam Kaimana hadn't even known was there in her mind before. She was... overflowing. Being a mother, it seemed, was already beginning to feel different than being a friend. But she would try her best to be a good one all the same.

- exit ;u; -