Isolde's chrysalis was tight by the time they were ready to emerge. They could feel it, their horn bent uncomfortably into their body, pressing up on their sternum as wings curled too closely around them.

Despite this, it wasn't their choosing about when they had hatched. Minor pain had shot through them- their first negative interaction with the world- before miniscule cracks in the oval of pink opal formed across its surface. Feathers poked out and liquids oozed, having nowhere else to go, and they still trapped.

Their eyes squinted in the pink-shaded dark. They had enough of this. Flexing their hard back, their wings split the side of the chrysalis, flaring out with a myriad of white waves sprawling across them. Yes, yes, that felt so much better. If they could sigh, they would as they shoved out, a rumble venting out through their spiracles as they emerged.

White, glowing eyes blinked into existence as they stared up at the cave ceiling, past the trees and path they had been born on. Ugh. What was this... Thing, between their eyes? The top of their head flexed back, reeling, and the fragile bone followed, swiftly stiffening up into the air.

Isolde let out a hiss. They bent down with their top half, straightening out the crest atop their face while their eyes reached backed and watched. That felt weird. They could see themselves- and they whipped their jaw about, inspecting, their mouth beginning to feel dry. That was also weird, and a long tongue flicked out from a slat in their jaw, flicking over a row of sharp, sharp teeth.

Hm. No matter, they straightened their necks back up and slipped their teeth shut, finding the rhythm naturally- each tooth clicked into place behind its counterparts, and soon their face was zipped up, the only remnant being two pairs of eyes standing just below seven feet and a short, foot and a half long crest.

They snorted out through their spiracles. They still felt wet. Perhaps a walk would help.

As their peacock trail dusted the path they casually inspected trees, taking in their surroundings. Where had they been borne into? It was oddly serene- and they did like it, they found, branching off from the path to explore in a different direction. There was a clearing this way, and- Ah. Cocking their head, Isolde looked upon the grassy knoll, gazing up to the tree that stood atop it.

It was pleasing, they'd say. And say they did, mumbling (or, speaking lowly) to themselves, cantering closer and up the hill.

A tree. Why was this so perfect? Was it some ruse? Squinting, Isolde turned their head about, settling on the palace in view in the distance and rumbling. Odd. Head turning this way and that, they turned once more and looked to the trees, gauging them from a distance.

Nothing was around. It was... Silent, other than the bird cries and distant animal voices they heard. A rattling sigh ran through their spiracles before they reached up, dry horn poking through the leaves in investigation.

Flowers. They were gorgeous, and they plucked one by spearing it, unzipping part of their mouth to bring it about to inspect. Interesting. What kind were these? Did flowers have kinds? Their tongue flicked out to lick them, and- ooh. Very nice. It took some finangling to not stab themselves there and then, but the flower was deposited into their stomach, no taste following.

They were disappointed. Looks like that sense was specific to the tongue only. That... Made sense, for some reason, but why did it make sense? They hissed out again, rezipping their mouth and settling back, tucking their spindly legs underneath them to lay down. They stared out to the palace, wondering- but for now, they waited, simply existing in contentedness.

James was trotting along merrily, tail swishing back and forth. Behind him waddled Darling, keeping up rather well despite the horse's fast pace. She looked annoyed, but followed anyway with a great heaving sigh. The trials and tribulations of a familiar.

He slowed to a halt as he saw the bird-like beast, with wings and a weird neck-head, with a mouth that unzipped like a Hellswan.

Darling walked forward to stand beside James, inspecting the beast before honking loudly, bending her head to preen her feathers.

"Hello?", James asked, head cocked, "Um... who are you? Are you palace staff?"

Oh dear, was this path off limits?

Darling walked forward, craning her neck to look up at Isolde, absolutely fearless. She honked again and ruffled her feathers, miffed that there was someone in their way.

@Isolde

They had begun to gather petals about them when they noticed James and-

A small version of them?

Blinking hard, Isolde, stared at the two of them with a lifted head, their feathers lifting at the honk. Were they supposed to honk? Carefully, they tested the noise, their mouth unmoving and hidden as an odd, wavering buzz came from their spiracles.

Nope. That wasn't a honk. But, the other one had spoke, another somewhat like them, with wings and hooves and a fanning tail. "Palace... Staff?" Their voice droned on like an ancient computer booting for the first time, emotionless eyes staring to James. "Is that what you are?" Their crest angled to Darling in a curious gesture.

Perhaps they were palace staff. Their feathers rustled again at the honk, and they buzzed back again, louder, sounding like someone had put a honk through a very messed up MIDI converter. That wasn't working. But, why was this one staring at them? Their long neck curled nearly ninety degrees to the side, tilting to get a better view and twisting about Darling in an alien, boneless way.

They seem to have not noticed the first question James had asked. Right now, Darling held their undivided attention.

@James

James shook his head, "No, I'm just a visitor. I'm James and this is Darling, do you have a name?"

Darling honked at Isolde again and flapped her wings, their head and throat opening, mouth extending way past where her mouth should have been, nearly to her chest, much like Isolde's own maw. She hissed and flapped her wings menacingly (though compared to a 7 foot behemoth like Isolde, it was just funny).

"Darling, don't hiss at people," James scolded lightly, "Unless they're jerks."

The swan craned her head and squinted at James, tempted to bite him, before walking over to the edge of the path and nibbling at some berries on a bush instead.

"Sorry...", James said, "I just recently made her my familiar, we're getting used to it still."

@Isolde

Isolde's long neck turned to regard James as he spoke instead, straightening somewhat to inspect him a lot less than they inspected Darling.

"I... Am a visitor, too," they settled with. "I am-"

They paused.

What was a name?

A name was something to define one's self with. How did Isolde define themself? They were not like a tree, or this James- they were like Darling, but not quite. They were quiet for a long time at this question, unmoving, unbreathing, staring down James through empty eyes.

And then, like no pause ever happened, they simply responded with "Isolde." Movement returned and they tucked their limbs in closer, turning to regard Darling's tantrum through cold eyes. Was this a greeting? They honked again (and Isolde 'honk'ed back softly), and postured, and hissed. Oh. Isolde could do that one. Stretching out their front legs, Isolde rattled off a loud hiss in a near perfect replica of Darling's, matched with absolutely no change in demeanor or expression.

They blinked. They turned back to James. "What makes her a familiar?" They were unaware of the other meanings of familiar and testing the grounds, turning their head to indicate the upset hellswan that had meandered away.

@James

Oh Darling did not like that. She whipped her head around, absolutely offended, and ran at Isolde, nipping and biting at their leg before a silent command from James made her back off, her feathers ruffled and hissing up an angry storm.

"Darling, calm," James said, "They didn't mean it, settle down."

The swan looked about ready to bite him next, hissing at him too before turning around and sulking.

"She's a lesser that I used magic on," he explained, "We're now mentally linked. I know where she is at all times and vice versa, and I can see through her eyes, talk through her mouth, even transfer my consciousness into her if I wish. Though uh... all my attempts thus far have been unfortunately unsuccessful."

He looked back at his unruly familiar and winced, "We're still working out our relationship... she can't talk or understand much, but she's very uh... emotionally adept. Which means she can tell intent and such, but it also means she gets aggressive over the slightest negative emotion."

That might be his fault, he was very empathetic and often wore his heart on his sleeve.

@Isolde

Isolde lifted a leg casually, as if this were just another day for her, gazing at Darling's reaction. Was that normal? Was the hissing... Anger? She blinked, tapping her hoof on the petal-accented ground once the hellswan turned back. A rumbling, thoughtful buzz emanated from them- their equivalent of a 'hm', though robotically.

James had continued on. Isolde returned their attention to him, head swivelling and crest pointed as they watched his mouth move. Why did he move his mouth to speak? Isolde didn't. And where was his crest? Isolde huffed halfway through, a few petals disturbed by the air.

"Does she speak, or does she just make those sounds?" Their horn pointed to Darling accusingly, a critical eye passing over her. "They must not mean good things. She is sulking." Did they offend her? Isolde's tail swished gently behind them, stirring up more petals as they idly studied Darling some more. Their inflection must have been off, if it was some unknown language.

Or, maybe it was just noises. Turning back to James, Isolde's mouth rippled just slightly in thought, their eyes now studying him. "How long does this link last? She does not seem happy with you. Or was that-- temporary anger?"

If biting at people meant they were angry, did that mean they were enemies? But they had wandered here together amicably. They were fine with each other, and she had followed his orders, curiously. Were there more Darlings around here?

There were almost too many questions.

@James

"She only makes those sounds. She's not like you and me, and can't speak or comprehend complicated thoughts or even emotions. She can't understand that you're not intending to be aggressive, for example. She hears you hissing and sees it as a sign that you are going to attack so she reacts," he explained, "She's upset because I told her off. I'm trying to teach her to be polite to those who haven't proven themselves to be enemies, but it's like... hm. It's like telling a bird not to fly. Even if you intend to allow them later and you need that bird still, the bird will still wish to fly anyway."

James tucked a wing under his chin in thought, "I believe permanently, unless I wish for it to be broken. But it's temporary anger, and she's easily distracted. She does hold grudges, though."

Darling, it seemed, had indeed been distracted by a beetle on the ground, and snapped it up, swallowing it down and chasing after another.

"It'll be a long road to companionship, but I do hope that someday she'll see me as an ally," he hummed.

He turned to look at the massive swan-like beast, head tilted, "You look like her, though. Your mouth even opens like her's does."

James flared his tail out behind him, feathers draping on the ground when he wasn't moving, "But we share wings, feathers, and our tails are very similar. What are you, if I may ask? Just a being, or do you happen to know where you come from?"

@Isolde

She cannot understand? Isolde's head tilted ever so slightly, glancing back to Darling as James spoke. "Ah, I was not aware that was- aggression. I guess I did make myself an enemy to her, though unintentionally." Their feathers rustled as they spoke matter-of-factly. "She is not wrong to be upset," they concluded. Their hooves came closer to their body as they contemplated standing- though, why should they? They were comfortable. It did feel odd that James had not sat, but perhaps he simply didn't want to.

Who were they to judge?

Isolde returned to watching Darling as James spoke, idly studying her movements. She wasn't built for the ground, that much was obvious, and shouldn't she be happier in the air? Was she staying here because of James? Intriguing. "That would be best," Isolde droned out wisp-like, barely turning their head to James. "Useful. For both of you." They nodded before finally returning their full attention to the pegasus.

They looked like her? Isolde twisted their head slowly to look at their wings, unfurling one just slightly to inspect it. Their head returned to James when he moved his own feathers, though, wing snapping back to their side as they leaned in.

And then, he asked a question. Isolde froze.

What were they? A faint noise of static came from their spiracles for a millisecond, one of being caught off guard, one of confusion and thinking. "I- Don't know," they spoke as they sat motionless, staring emptily into James. It was a few moments more of wordless thoughts before they shoved up, head swiveling to point off into the direction of a forest path.

"I come from that direction. A chrysalis," they explained, turning back to James. They loomed over him, unintentionally intimidating, short crest aimed directly to him. "You called me palace staff. Maybe that is what I am."

They stepped back to give James some breathing room, air rushing out of their spiracles in a huff. "What are you? A visitor, correct?" They weren't sure of their previous answer about being a visitor too, now- especially since that probably meant that they didn't live here. Did they live here? It was a bit much to ponder on for someone who was only a few hours old.

@James