In the shadows if the small path rested a dull, brown chrysalis. Dirt dusted the outside of it and a small trail in the moss indicated that it had rolled out from a crevice within the walls. Inside was a creature that felt too comfortable to exit, but the magicka within decided it was time. Shi whimpered quietly, clenching to hirself tightly in attempts to resist. Shi could not, though, as instinct and fate would not have it.

Moments ticked by before there was a loud crack as the shell split apart, falling into halves as the cub flopped out onto the ground, slightly damp from what little placenta was left. Slowly, carefully, hir eyes opened, blinking several times along the way as the present light seemed relatively blinding. Shi lifted her head up, then looked around, finding the world outside the chrysalis to be much larger than expected... and bright and colorful. Shi almost had a headache from it and shi wasn't even two minutes old.

The puma cub dragged hirself to hir feet, eyes darting down to look at the large paws shi'd eventually grow into. Hir claws flexed in and out a little, then shi looked behind hir to find hir tail swaying from side to side. Without a thought or moment of hesitation, shi leaped for it and missed rather epically. Shi found hirself landing head-first onto the ground, balancing being well off-center.

As shi picked hirself off the ground, a big, ugly feeling welled up in hir chest. Pain burned hir face, bits of blood trickling out of the scrape caused by the landing. All shi did was try to play. To move and be a kitten as kittens ought to. Something wasn't right though. Something was so terribly wrong and shi could feel it in every way. Shi took a step backward and felt hir balance tip to the left. Before shi could fall, shi planted hir butt onto the ground and tried to assess the situation.

Time passed, but shi could not find an answer for hir inability to follow hir first natural instincts. Shi could not understand why shi was so off kilter. The more shi thought about it, the more neurotic shi started to become. Suddenly, the welling in hir chest seemed to explode. Tears flowed heavily from hir orange eyes, frustration overwhelming the new hatchling. No understanding of the world, but already shi knew something was terribly wrong with hirself and couldn't bare to move from hir spot, rooted to the ground as the anguish of even existing washed over hir like a tidal wave.

An hour passed after hir cry fest. Shi rose up from hir nap and yawned, sitting back up onto hir haunches. Shi looked down each direction, eventually deciding to inch toward the blue lights. Shi lowered hir fore down to the ground and raised hir butt up a little. Shi was barely off the ground, crouching pathetically. Still, shi found hirself more able to walk with less embarrassment to hirself when shi stumbled. It was easier to catch hirself, but hir back already began to ache from the odd position. So, once shi made it to the opening of Polaris, shi stopped and went back to hir sitting position so shi could look into the new area in some manner.

Sounds had hir right ear twisting and twitching, but the left barely moved in relation to sound. Any movement it made at all was purely in reflection of the other ear, which was very halfhearted in comparison. Shi didn't notice, however. All seemed better now that shi was no longer completely bound to a single spot. Hir nose went up and shi smelled the air, then raised hir lips to get a better sense of it. It had a taste shi could not compare to, a smell that conflicted with the scents of damp rock and moss. Hir tail twitched as hir mind busied over the new curiosities that took hir mind from hir troubles, causing hir imagination to soar.

"Asgina is okay," shi said aloud, feeling the name was right and the statement was suited. "Asgina will be okay."

The soft tap of nails on rock came unevenly, moss muffling the sound depending on where it grew and where she stepped. She came from Orion, heading through the narrow tunnel, eye glow brighter blue as she neared Polaris' side. A soft voice caused her to come to a halt, however, and stretch her neck upward so she could look farther ahead.

"Hello?" she called tentatively, finding the form of a feline. She walked closer, but stopped several feet away, allowing the new being space to notice her. The smell of blood was in the air. This one was wounded. Giga moved closer and perched onto a rock, then lowered her head so she may appear less threatening to whoever she was destined to meet, here.

Time ticked on, but it never dragged for hir. The time in hir dark home before hir life outside of it started prepared hir for these times with little to do, and shi didn't know much, so it seemed like a safe option; just sitting in place, smelling, seeing, hearing, feeling. The air was stagnant, which felt thick in hir lungs. Shi was so used to not inhaling like this. Shi was so uncomfortable out here in this world. So scared...

Asgina felt hir body jolt painfully as fear shook hir core, the sudden voice catching hir very off guard. Shi teetered in hir spot, swinging hir head around so fast that shi made hirself feel a little dizzy. Orange eyes met blue, blinking a few times to take in the odd creature that tilted her head toward. Shi adjusted hirself, pulling hir body around so shi would face the bird. Right ear was up, left ear following suit, but not as firmly. A chill crawled through hir body, then warmth found it's place.

What a curious creature! What a sweet voice! Asgina scooted closer to the ugly bird, then leaned forward and sniffed at her half-formed feathers and scaly feet. Before shi even realized it, shi found hirself purring, the loud rumble following hir breathing. Shi looked up at the bird again, ears tilting to the sides, then back up again. "Asgina... Asgina does not understand," she said. "Asgina is lost."

Giga watched the large cat react, feeling a badly for startling hir. Before she could properly apologize, though, the cat was making weird efforts to move closer. While she was being sniffed, she inspected the scrape on hir face closely. It wasn't too bad. I should be able to heal it with Fauna Cleanse. She lifted her head a little as Asgina looked up to her and began speaking. Giga touched her beak to Asgina's nose and smiled with her blue eyes.

"If Asgina will let me, will heal the owie on hir face," she said softly. She closed her eyes and relaxed her body, then looked at the wound again. She imagined herself entering it and inspected the wound, just as Cayenne had told her to do. With some concentration, she tapped into her magicka and watched as the little openings closed, sealing up smoothly. There would be a scar, but it would eventually be hidden behind Asgina's fur.

"Do you feel better?" she asked. She tilted her head, feeling hopeful.

Every detail in Giga's face was inspected, every flaw and perfection locked forever away into hir mind as the healing took place. The feeling of rapid healing caused a shudder to shake hir. A slow blink, then a slow, timid smile formed on hir maw. Asgina's pink tongue flicked out, aiming a lick at Giga's feathered face.

Carefully, shi raised hirself to all four paws, back end still tentative about being all the way up. Tail swung from side to side, ears swiveling. "Asgina wants a friend," shi said, cocking hir head at the bird.

Yinehi nodded to the feline, the lick making her feathers fluff and her eyes smile. She hopped onto Asgina's back and began preening her fur. A friend she would be for this lovely feline, no matter what.

END