Takes place after the Raid! Also Comet's stone baby conception thread uwu

James was laying down next to a rock with one wing haphazardly spread out beside him. He wasn't asleep, just resting, one ear constantly listening out for his daughter. He'd had very little energy for their exciting outings since he talked with Ari, so this was the most he could really do. Just lay here and try and recover.

He opened his amber eyes to see where Comet was, a small smile crossing his face. Even after the gaslighting that Ari had done (knowing or not), she always brought a smile to his face. His brave little princess... a ferocious warrior princess, that was. A dragon in a wolf's clothing.

"Comet?", he called out, grunting as he shoved himself to his feet, "Comet here, darling. Let's head over to the cliffs, I believe there's some lessers that hang out there, like Kytes and things, if you wish to hunt."

The stallion flicked his tail from side to side and rubbed his face on his knee, scratching at an itch. He spread his wings and exhaled before taking off at a sudden gallop and taking to the sky, flapping to get off the ground before circling around Comet with a smile on his tired face.

"I'll race you," he laughed.

@Comet

Comet had been as tired as James ever since leaving Aristotle and Sun. The bountiful energy she had once had had been seemingly drained away. Everyday, she had expected wake up with the comforting warmth of Sun pressed next to her, but there had been nothing. Just the cold rocky ground of Orion.

Usually the moment she regained consciousness from her sleep, she would jump to her feet, ready for the adventure the day would bring! But today there was nothing, just a vast sense of emptiness. Comet forced herself onto her feet only after she heard James call her. She wasn't hungry, but she gave him a small smile and a nod. She had to be strong, and happy, for renny. For renny! One of her main motivations.

"Okay!" she forced energy into her voice and into her legs, rushing off over the empty surface of Orion. Comet could feel the wind flowing past her fur, and she pressed herself to go faster, faster! The adrenaline rushed through her body, and she felt like it was the good times again.

@James

James softened and flew beside her, finding himself having to actually pick up speed in order to stay that way. He laughed, eyes sparkling again, legs tucked up and his tail and feathers flowing in the wind.

Of course he let Comet win, landing just behind her as they reached the cliffs. He shook himself out and stopped, catching his breath as he looked out behind them.

"It's so lovely," he said, and raised his head to look up at the stars, "Isn't it?"

James held out a wind and lay down, offering his warmth if Comet wished to lay down again. The thing he was most thankful for now was not having to share the wolf pup. He got all of the snuggles and affection (and tantrums, though rare they were). He got to spend so much time with his little girl, watching her grow and change. It was wonderful.

"I wish you had a friend," he suddenly said, "Like... a sibling? Maybe. Someone to keep company with. A little adventurer just like you, to keep company with and to play with all day long. Someone to cause infinite amounts of trouble with."

He teased Comet about the 'trouble' bit, but he worried. She came home telling about fights and things she'd gotten herself into, things she'd done while he wasn't there. It was awfully frightening. If there was someone who could be there, then his heart wouldn't try to beat itself out of his chest so often.

@Comet

Comet laughed along with the horse, and barked in victory when she won the race. The stars sparkled above, the ceiling of Orion really did look like a vast expanse of night sky. She wondered what it would be like to fly all the way up there, and touch the top.

Accepting James's offer, Comet snuggled into the space underneath his wing. Warm, and safe. His scent filled her nose, and it had a sort of calming effect. "Sibling?" Memories of her fun times with Sun came rushing back, and she had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. The gibbon was gone now, and she wasn't sure when she was going to see him again. If ever.

Comet pressed herself closer against James, and thought about it. She really could use a companion. Someone to play with and explore! "A sibling sounds good." She thought about things. Out of the things that she had brought with her since leaving was a stone. Star rose quartz, could it be revived?

"Renny? I have a stone. Maybe you can revive it?" The pup remembered from her explorations that stones could be revived. Comet worked her paws against the ground, and dug up the stone where she had buried it. Every time they moved, she would bury her possessions and dig them up when they traveled again. She picked up the stone in her jaws and dropped it in front of James.

@James

James nodded gently and shuffled her as close as possible, the two of them looking very similar to gophers poking out of their hole. He nuzzled Comet gently and started to lick at her fur, comforting her rather than doing anything to clean her.

He paused mid-lick and lifted his head, looking a bit ridiculous, "Oh- really? That's awfully convenient. Um... I suppose I could."

The stallion looked thoughtful, "It's an awfully sudden decision though, Comet. I know I can support another child, and you can assist in caring for them... we'll need to find somewhere safe for them to form a chrysalis and grow safely. Home, perhaps?"

He set his head down and hummed, amber eyes rather far off.

"... It's a lot of responsibility," he said, "I will admit, you're not so much a child as you are a free spirit. Even as a pup, you were very independent. Whatever personality they come out having will be very different than your own. But... I do think it would be nice to have another child. No more after them, though. Not for a while."

James didn't want this to be a split-second decision, and he certainly didn't want to just leave the child alone and end up abandoning the poor thing because of lack of ability. He wanted to be a good parent. He didn't want to be like Ari.

"... What do you think, Comet?", he finally asked, deeming her old enough and responsible enough to ask her opinion on such an important matter, and take it into account.

@Comet

Safe? Now that she thought about it, you couldn't exactly carry a chrysalis with you everywhere. Once it has been placed down, it would have to stay that way. This was one of the downsides of not really having a single place that you lived. But yes, home sounded nice.

"Don't worry, renny. I will guard their chrysalis like this." Comet opened her eyes as wide as she could. She wasn't sure how long a chrysalis even took to hatch, but she had stayed up several night without sleep before. She was sure it would be possible to stay awake the whole time.

The pup agreed about the part that there would be no more after a while, one sibling was already plenty! The many ideas rushed through her mind of what they might be like. How would they look? What would their personality be? She imagined herself fighting off monsters to protect them. Whoops, she was going a bit too far with her daydreaming.

"I will take really good care of them, I really will. I can hunt, and I know how to fight! If you get too tired I can take care of them while you rest." Comet thought about how she was already able to take care of herself mostly only a bit after she had hatched. Would her sibling be the same? Or would they need more care? Either way, she knew that she would do her best.

The pink stone laid on the ground, glittering with possibility.

@James

James huffed in amusement, "Like that, huh? You'll stay awake? Well... a chrysalis is thankfully indestructible until a Gembound hatches, and I believe it takes two weeks for one to hatch, at least that's what I've heard from the few I've met around the caves who've had children."

The stallion looked down at the gem and smiled gently, nosing it gently, "You know what? I'll do it. For you, princess."

He stood up and stared down at the gem, his stone buzzing with energy. This would take a lot... he was giving up a lot of magic for this life.

"Come, Comet," he said, "We'll go to my old hideout and we can place it there. Here's hoping that this works the first time."

Stones broke with strain, but he didn't know how much one could take, especially one so exposed. He scooped it up and dropped it in his net bag, looking to Comet with fluffed up feathers.

"I suspect I'll be extremely tired after this," he said, "So I'll need you to help me out while I regain my energy."

@Comet

It was a good thing that chrysalises were indestructible. Perhaps it was the magic in them that made it that way, since she knew that normal gemstones could be broken, and chrysalises were made of those very gemstones. Two weeks didn't sound very long, and she was pretty sure she would be able to stay awake for two weeks if needed.

"Thank you renny!" This was one of those times when Comet wished she were able to express her joy as words were not sufficient. She knew this was not easy for James to do, since it must not be easy to make a life with magic.

The pup nodded, and watched as the stone was scooped up and into James's net bag. Safe and sound. "I will help as best as I can." Comet didn't like the sound of this whole process being incredibly taxing on his part, but it needed to be done. She followed the horse to his old hideout.

((Timeskip to arriving at hideout))

@James

James made his way through his old hideout, where he'd stashed what belongings he and Comet had. His gem creation that Pride had gifted him, various furs to create a bed on top of one made of grasses and soft soil, and other things, such as a plot of soil in the backyard growing a small apple tree. He'd have to politely ask Mercurius if he could grow the thing just a wee bit faster for him.

"Come, Comet," he said softly, gently setting the stone down in a corner of the bedroom opposite the bed, where it would be semi-hidden and have plenty of room to expand as it pleased when forming the chrysalis.

The stallion gently nosed the small gem, sighing gently, "Okay, little one... everything is prepared. You can awaken, now."

He waited until Comet was beside him and watching before casting the spell. If he fell or passed out, or even if he remained standing, he might need assistance.

@Comet

The hideout was not nearly as lush as Aristotle's place. It was strange how she never thought of her old house as hers anymore. Perhaps because it wasn't. The small apple tree was nothing compared to the huge ones at the previous house, but she was happier here. So she wouldn't complain.

Comet walked over to James and watched as he placed down the small gem. This was where the chrysalis would form, and she remembered Abraxas. She would probably never meet them. But she shook such sad thoughts out of her head. He was going to revive a stone! She pressed up her body against his, to support him in case he collapsed.

@James