As his small black hooves stopped their tapping assault of the egg, he head drew back to watch the cracks spread across its surface. Aquamarine eyes flicker to the movement of small, flaming fawns along Kiada’s back (forever watching his sister), before returning to see a small beak break free of the ebony egg’s imprisonment. Black shards cracked open, falling and splintering on the grassy rocks on which the eggs ere perched.

Sharp, aqua eyes narrowed as the creature emerged. He studied the indignant chick, all white fluff and snapping black eyes. And, for the first moment since his creation, the colt felt a silver of aloneness as the small chick entirely ignored him for his sister. And Kia—his sister was likewise engrossed in the hatchling, dropping her head in response to its urgent chirps.

His ears perk forward, hearing her giggle. And it was a true giggle, the first one that he hadn’t caused. Still ignored were the growing, spreading cracks in the ebony egg behind him; forsaken for watching the bonding of his sister to another creature, other than himself.

Small lips press together (in an expression eerily similar to his yet-unknown father) at Kiada’s further giggles, unhappiness plain on his black-lined face. For the first time, his emotions ran directly against his sisters, with her being amused and delighted while he was dejected and annoyed.

But then, a something dark tickled the back of his young skull. ”Can we find out what’s in yours?” His body was already turning away from her as she asked, attention sweeping to the golden egg that splintering into pieces before their young eyes.

A loud, high-pitched squeal rent the air in answer to Kia’s bright question. Small, sharp, brilliant white teeth were out, snapping and tearing at the egg shell while sharp, small claws were mangling the pieces that trapped her.

And, suddenly, all was still, save for the flaring nostrils and wide eyes of Zo. A black face surrounded by golden fur stared back at him, teal eyes boring into his own. The small cub had eyes for no one else, only the colt that towered over her newly hatched body. He was hers.

On wobbling, black paws, the small cub made her way towards the darkling prince. And he felt her in his mind, a soft threatening hum that sounded beneath the small shadows in his skull. The colt hesitated for a moment, then dropped his head in response to a sudden, pealing and demanding cry from the cub.

She rocked onto her striped haunches, plopping down as balance fled her in the face of the sudden movement and appearance of her bonded’s face in hers. A black paw gently batted his muzzle, and he snorted. Her sharp claws left only shallow scrapes in his tender, thin skin— but still, she had marked him. She yowled in cub satisfaction, ridged fur along her back raising.

“What do you think mother will say, Kia?” His question was amused— for both of the creatures were so decidedly different than Rexanna’s Marembo. A dark smirk crossed his scratched muzzle, eyes glancing as the polecat’s striped body suddenly emerged from a tight cluster of bamboo rods.

And the cub gave a decidedly hungry yowl.

kianzo

"The prince of darkness is a perfect gentleman."