She'd been tending to the stone for many cycles now. For a short time, she had fallen asleep too, and had awoken suddenly in a panic to the walls of her chrysalis. Since then, she'd made sure not to hibernate again, filling her days with purpose. That purpose being creating a very large nest around the chrysalis.

It wasn't quitea proper shelter, Nameless didn't have the magic to dig burrows in the ground or raise stone over their heads, but she did manage to clear out some bones around them and create something like a circular wall of rocks and old bones so that they were, at least, hidden from sight. And it was a little warmer now that there was some kind of protection there. Not super warm, but it would have to do until the child hatched. And she was convinced that it would - it had been promised of her, after all. She'd wait as long as it took.

Because, eventually, it would hatch. And the child would be lost. Might as well be there for it.

She was returning now, having left to graze on some stray grasses and insects for a bit. There hadn't been much to choose from here in Canis and she found herself often having to conjure bananas for herself - it was the only thing she knew how to do, really. They kept her alive, for the most part, but she was beginning to despise the flavor.

She sat down next to the chrysalis, filled for now, and turned to begin preening. There were muddy streaks across her feathers and she was sure they'd accumulated quite a bit of dust while she was out. Even if she was living in this foul cave for now, she still kept herself clean and healthy while she waited for the chrysalis to hatch.

@Mai

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

Panic Attack

Even when the agate COULD hatch, it didn't. Even when the bones were clear away from the chrysalis, no longer smothering it, it lay dormant. Even as the area surrounding it grew more into a home, it stayed still. It had never known safety, and it could only hatch if it knew it was without danger. Thus, it would never hatch.

That was how it was for a long time.

The child within had slept for a long, long time, kept in stasis for a time that would never come. It was only now she would dream, pulling out of that stasis for the first time in what could've been hundreds of cycles. Much of the dream echoed of fuzzy memories- hiding from monsters in the dark. Shoved into cramped crevices, willing their fearful glow to go dim. Claws scraping stone and eyes glinting with malice. [A hairline fracture creeped onto the agate's surface] A skittering stone or bone somewhere nearby, horribly loud [The crack grew larger] The clattering grew louder. [The cracks spread] Their shelter was breaking [The shell nearly split open] a massive crushing claw descended.

[The chrysalis hatched.]

The panicked flailing in the midst of the nightmare had shattered the ancient stone shell, and Mai, reeling from the wake of their nightmare, sat in the middle of the ruins. Her chest heaved with too-cold air, aching lungs aching harder. She struggled clumsily to her feet, cringing at the too-loud sound of agate shards clattering into each other. Her eyes caught upon exactly one stranger, nothing familiar about them- too small, too soft, too clean. Not a single scar. It was unnerving and strange and not quite so comforting.

She wanted her parents, her FAMILY, but she didn't even know where they could be. She barely even remembered their faces- shadowed and marred with fear and concern. She didn't- She didn't-

She was crying.

Crying was too loud. She HAD to be quiet. She curled up in a ball, tail covering her muzzle and legs tucked close to her body. Her two face-eyes were scrunched shut, leaking tears, and her tail-eye stared fuzzily at Nameless, unable to quite focus while everything was so confusing and scary and way, WAY too much. She gasped softly, paws clutching her mouth, getting pricked by her own tusks.

She wanted it to stop. She wanted to know what was going on and she wanted it all to stop.

@Nameless

As soon as the webbing of cracks began to rupture across the surface of the chrysalis, Nameless sat up, with rapt attention. She felt her heart speed up with excitement and anticipation and she watched as the gemstone began to hatch, slowly, crack by crack appearing until, at last, something spilled out in a tumble of flailing limbs and flashes of purple and green.

There was a moment of silence, as Nameless allowed the child to get to their feet, a moment where they locked eyes and she felt those fearful eyes scan her body, and the moment ended suddenly and painfully when the child started to cry.

She had been expecting it - the Wishing Stone, after all, had warned her of this, that this child came from a time of suffering and war. Still, she had to force herself not to rush towards them to comfort, instead, rising slowly and casting magic out to carefully slow her panicking heart.

"Hey," she spoke, carefully and she approached, head leaned forward so that it was closer to the baby's level. "It's okay. You're safe, you're safe with me. Nobody is going to hurt you here." She stopped a few feet away and sat herself down again, giving the child a moment to calm down and get used to being alive again as she continued to steady let her magic slowly return her heartbeat to normal.

@Mai

She wasn't aware of the magic used on her, just that the thrumming in her ears slowly got quieter. That each breath filled her lungs more completely. The panicked static in her brain took longer to fade, sticking around even after her body slipped out of it's 'flight-or-fight' response. Because all of those questions and thoughts remained; she was just given more room to think.

Belatedly, she realized she was being talked at. It takes another long moment for her to figure out WHAT had been said. The tone wasn't unusual- she was used to those hushed attempts at comfort. But it was always promises of future safety. That they were almost there- just a little longer- and then everything would be alright. This was here and now safety. Mai hadn't know such a thing existed.

She sniffled, pawing at her face, blinking to clear her vision. "You-" Her voice was barely above a whisper. Still afraid of being too loud. "You-re su-sure?" She looked around. It was empty and quiet- mostly stone and nearly-fossilized bone. How long...?

@Nameless

Nameless was quiet and patient, waiting for the child to calm down, both naturally and with the aid of her magic. She needed time to adjust to reality - she probably only remembered the hard times she'd come from, the wars and the pain.

She couldn't even imagine what it was like.

Once she looked up, the most innocent look on her face, wide, terrified eyes slowly coming to the realization there was nothing to be scared of anymore, Nameless stood and walked closer. If she allowed it, she was press her soft feathers against the child and sit close, so her soft warmth was an additional comfort. If the contact looked to be too much, she would not. She'd stay where she was and sit again.

"I'm sure," she answered, quietly. "There's nothing to be afraid of anymore. I promise." She reached forward to nuzzle her on the back of her head with her bill (again, if she allowed. If she flinched away, she'd hold back). "Do you have a name?"

@Mai