Frostfall broke over the lands of the Ancient Rotunda. A place that Darwin had spent many moons away from during his life so far in Helovia. Yet it was always a place that had a special spot in his heart with all the mystery and beauty that the antiquated columns carried. Though he never spent too much time in one place, despite how much he wished he could live beneath the stained glass as it poured colorful stories over his pale canvas of a pelt. He was quickly growing tired of consistently being in hiding, but his magic made it at least somewhat bearable. Being able to transform into a burning phoenix was probably the best kind of mask one could ask for as he did his best to avoid his relatives. His head would not be staked outside their homes. He would make sure of it.
 
Today was no different, just another cold day with a cloudy sky. Snow falling and lightly covering the ground in many places, packing in over the stained glass and preventing the dulled sun from creating the cascading colors he loved so much. Yet, he found himself here once again. Something kept dragging him to this area, something different. Something fierce. He kept his identity hidden, passing through the courtyard as a bird made of fire. Heating up the snow and melting it around him as he hovered over the ivory blanket. Wings of fire spread out before he were to land, keeping the landing as graceful as possible. Being a phoenix was a bit more difficult when it came to walking, so he stuck with hopping wherever he needed to go. The intense sense of desire dragging him further to the side of the Rotunda, beneath the large stone columns and beneath the trees that stretched out for an eternity.
 
He found something that seemed to be round in shape. Darwin’s stone eyes widened, his hops growing larger as he pushed his way to the shape. Leaning his flaming neck down, his firey beak pushing the melting snow aside, digging out what now appeared to be an egg! He pulled back now, fearful of burning the poor thing alive. Closing his eyes, he began to focus on returning himself to his original state, until he heard a crack.
 
And then another crack.
 
And another.
 
It was enough of an annoying sound to pull his attention away to return to the egg. The orange and red shell began to crack with yellow lines, flames pouring out of the egg with an intensity that even Darwin began to worry. Had he burned the poor creature? Was it trying to escape? If it was already on fire, what could a little bit more hurt? Against his will, he used his beak once more to pull the small fragments of the shell away from the creature within. It looked up at him then, fire flooding out of the cracking and burning shell.
 
The stallion pulled away from it now, fearful of watching the tired creature die because of him. Until the unexpected happened. The flames died down enough for Darwin to notice that it was a chick. A chick with fire for feathers. A chick that seemed to emerge from its cage with such a ferocity that even Darwin couldn’t help but to smile at the creature. Though he had forgotten he had stayed in his phoenix form, and so the little chick jumped toward him, flames mingling with his own from the slight distance between them. “No, no child. I’m not your mother.” He breathed to her, realizing he appeared as though he were her mother.

Which began to remind him of his brother Knox and his companion Manhattan. Was this chick supposed to be his companion? Did others find their companions just randomly as he had? Or was there something more to it? He lifted his head then, looking around the area to see if perhaps she belonged to someone else. Yet as he looked away, she began to screech at him with such an ungodly scream that he couldn’t help but tear his head back down to her. “Okay, okay. Jesus. I’m sorry.” A chuckle escaped his lips, though he wasn’t sure if it were from true laughter or complete nervousness.
 
“I suppose I should name you.” He breathed to her, their flames growing stronger together. “Antaa.” He nodded to her. The chick curiously staring up at him, chirping about something. Was she hungry? Darwin began to grow more frantic. What did phoenix’s even eat? Did they eat like normal birds? Suddenly, he began to feel a sort of weakness. Both tiresome from his transformation, which he knew. But this one was different. Was this her? Had she already bonded to him? Was he already feeling a sort of exhausted beginning that came from her? All these questions had his mind wrapped up within it. He began to forget about whoever might be around or passing through and fell through with the transformation and returned to his ivory and ebony state. Just a pale Pegasus with darkened markings, wings tucked at his sides with his nose beside this flaming chick.
 
"Talk."

& they said you were the crooked kind—

that you'd never have no worth,

but you were always gold to me.