The tide was rolling in, and Terra was going to have to leave her farm for the night.  Across her back were a couple of seagrass baskets, loosely woven, but able to hold her spoils none the less.  Her first attempts at weaving had been clumsy and useless, but she had remained diligent, and these latest creations might even be good for more than one trip out among the tide pools.  She rushed to grab the last few mussels she could from along the rocks before they became submerged once more.  As the surf began to flow and fill the spaces among the rocks, Terracotta conceded the ground.  It was time to head back inland.

She was so intent on her task of muscle gathering that she did not notice the figure off among the dunes.  Picking her way over the rocks, she climbed up onto a natural jetty to escape the tide.  the fiery-coated jogged along, following the trail along the edge of the high tide waterline. Her next destination would be to process her catch.  Tail swishing and steps light, she climbed up to a large boulder, worn flat by either the wind or sea.  Beside it, in a tangled mess of seagrass that may have once been a basket, were a collection of rocks and sticks.  Slipping out of her basket harness, Terra ducked into an impression in the nearby wall, withdrawing with a clump of sea grass.  Another impression held drift wood, and she selected a few pieces.

The light was fading fast now, and she rushed to complete her next task.  Shoving the dried grass and sticks into a depression in the earth, she scraped a large, jagged stone against another.  There was a shower of tiny flecks of light, and then smoke began to arise from the grass.  Laying down before it, Terra exhaled softly on the small ember until it properly caught.  Then she used it to light more of the grass.  Soon, she had a small dune fire going.   While her fire grew, she turned her attention back to the basket, still unaware that she was not alone on the beach.

"Quite an interesting thing: fire,"

A voice said out of the gloom, and Terra jumped, not expecting anyone to be out here, let alone coming over for a chat.

" "One minute, it's small and controllable and then it's a powerful wave of destruction the next. I'm Livid, by the way. A Ranger.""

What? Was she not supposed to be lighting fires?  No one had ever mentioned it before, not that there had been many who had spoken to her at all.  For all anyone knew, Terra was as much of an outsider as the day her family had crossed the border. Terra donned the mask that all Saborans learned young. A semi-bored, blank face that revealed no intent or guilt.  She could have been smashing someone's skull in and used the same feint of innocence. Not that Terra did smash heads, but she could... if she had to...

"Terracotta." She replied warily.

"Oh, how nice, A cute triplet unit managed to gain entry. I think siblings always make it a bit easier to fit in..."

Terra huffed under her breath, realizing all too late that she had picked the wrong stretch of beach to smoke muscles this evening.  True, her fire was going well, and she could continue unabated by visitors, but did she want to?  No. No she did not.  She was about to make an excuse when she caught the first glimpse of the newcomer from across the fire.  Her mouth was left agape ever so slightly, her words falling completely out of her head.  What Livid had first thought of as triplets were far to close in proximity... Terra snapped her jaw shut with a barely audible click of her teeth.

"Wow, Just when you get a fire going, the ghost story just walks right on up."

Well that was tactless.

"Hello. I. Am. Livid! It. Is. A. Pleasure. To. Meet. You!"

And... that was worse.  Terra leaned subtly away from the Livid yelling.

"H-hi. I’m Hickory. It’s nice to meet you too?"

Terra's ears pricked forward as he spoke, her eyes locked on the multitude of faces.  Fascinating, simply fascinating.  She may have even said it out loud, abet under her breath.  Certainly not with any intention of being heard.   Terra's mind was already buzzing with questions.  She analyzed what she had noticed so far.  His senses seemed to move independently, ears, eyes and mouths just out of sync enough to make her think it was a separate action.  Multiple brains?  Unlikely.  Were there three minds behind three faces?  Could they each speak, or was it one mind with three voices? He had said 'I'm', not 'we', and only one name was given. Oooh, she wanted to know, but asking would be rude, and she wasn't going to be as tactless as Livid.  Just introductions, and then go back to your task...

"Terracotta." She repeated, trying to be polite.  Then, before she could stop herself, she blurted out:  "You must have three unique larynx. Can you work them independently?"

Apparently she was  just as tactless as Livid.

Dusk light washed over the beach, the speckle of stars creating a glittering blanket to rest beneath. The boy had no intentions of approaching the figures that milled about — he merely wanted to watch from his safe distance, hidden in the shadows cast by gently sloping dunes.

The flame kissed girl was pretty, his might supplied idly, wisps of long hair framing her face, each movement causing them to dance like embers. She looked content in her work, and a part of Antares envied her for it. But he dared not approach. Not the fire girl, not the silver newcomer, nor the red one with — oh. Ears perked and head raised, watching as the two seemed to notice the obvious... oddity that was the red hellion.

He had no intention of approaching — Shuck had been pretty too, after all he reminded himself, and the tattered remains of his ear... the healing cuts at the nape of his neck burned.

But their voices carried with the cool ocean breeze, and the boy's heart twisted and lurched. Antares had always thought his home to be kind. Like his mother and father. Like Harriette. But perhaps he had been wrong — perhaps there were more Shucks than there were Harriettes.

The boy rose to his tired paws, ready to leave the cruel scene set out before him. But... but —

Why don't we try them out? Think fast, Hickory!

Mismatched eyes widened, something burning and nauseating churned in his gut. The woman grinned. The boy winced and cried.

And Antares — Antares darted from the shadows, shoving his gangly adolescent frame between the cruel woman and the unfortunate hellion with teeth bared. "That's mean." The pale prince sneered (and later he would think back to this moment, the snarl that had dripped from his mouth with such loathing, surprising even himself). Mismatched eyes flicked from the grey ranger to the fire-kissed girl, and finally settled upon the flickering flame.

"Think fast." Antares breathed in a single exhale and in that same breath, his pale paw suddenly moved to scoop up a handful of the burning embers and aflame grass. The fire burned and licked at his paw, but he ignored the searing pain as he swung his arm in an attempted to slam the burning pawful right into Livid's grinning face.

And if she evaded him — well the fire was still burning strong.

"That's a... nice name, Unusual, but nice."

And Livid wasn't?!  Terra raised a brow at her, but didn't speak before she offered to help with the fire.  Terra was about to tell her that she didn't need any help, but then Hickory appeared. And then suddenly all hell broke loose!  

"Why don't we try them out? Think fast, Hickory!"

One minute they were having a polite (polite?) conversation, and suddenly there was sand flying up.  Terra jerked her head back to avoid getting hit herself, the appalled expression on her face very clear.  What the hell was up with this kid?!  Sure, Terra was not the most tactful speaker, and her sharp tongue was a little cutting sometimes, but she didn't throw sand in people's faces.

"What the hell?!" Terracotta yelled at the same time as Hickory cried out  Th-that’s!! That’s mean!! Why would you do that?”

Terra's head snapped around to glare at Livid, the fire dancing through her eyes. Her lips drew back into a snarl, and she was about ready to bitch this bitch out, but then suddenly, a newcomer appeared.  Terra didn't even really have time to get a good look at him before he entered the clash.

"That's mean." He snarled, echoing the general sentiment on the situation. Then he echoed again, this time parroting Livid's word with a cutting whisper. "Think fast."

Terra, who had been sitting on the far side of the fire from Hickory, on Livid's opposite side, scrambled to get out of the way of the stray embers that rocketed in her general direction.  What had started as a quiet and solitary evening was very quickly becoming a shitshow.

"HeyHeyHey!"  Terra yelled, having retreated and now was standing with her legs splayed closer to the base of a dune. She refocused her ire on Livid, bearing her fangs and snarling "What is your problem?!" and as a general sentiment to the assembled party "Knock it off!"

All she wanted to do was smoke some mussels.  Her fire was NOT meant to be a weapon in this circus!  Out of everyone here, she was the one with the fire, not to mention the fire coat, and she was the most level-headed of the bunch.  Unbelievable.  Who invited this ruckus anyway?!

He's a brother above all else, a protector. For fuck's sake look after your sisters and mother. His father's words called out to him and perhaps he was overreacting, but a promise was a promise. No matter what.

It's why on this evening he comes rushing to the scene, the flicker of fire catching his vivid eyes and the screams stinging his ears and making his legs move into overdrive. "TERRA?!" Came a lion's roar, from a wolf's booming chest. Dashing into the scene all he saw was a paw swinging, one full of fire, and it was in that moment his legs sprang to action.

Darting in front of Livid, he lowered his head in order to scream at the assailant. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YO-" The words were cut off by a surprisingly strong slap to the side of his face. The initial impact stung, but then BURNED. Searing hot embers, cooking and burning, melting fur and flesh. There was a white hot pain, his left eye burned and then went dark. A howl of pain, a snarling growl, a bestial cry, rumbled from his chest and Kaolin jerked backwards. Red hot embers still sticking to his face, STILL BURNING. "MY... EYE!!" He managed, paw raising to scratch and scrape embers away though causing himself more pain in the process.

His lone good eye would fall onto the pale form of the boy, a snarl echoing in his chest. "What the fuck!? IS YOUR PROBLEM?!" He snarled, fur bristling and teeth bared, his one eye scanning over the assailant. A kid, just a fucking kid. Wincing, he fought back the urge to yell in pain. "T-Terra?! Are you okay?!" He'd turn his attention back on the real reason for why he was here, good eye searching for his sister.

Beneath the swaying trees and the dew-lined grass, something stirs.

She does not know how long she has been down here - truthfully, it didn't really matter to her. Often, she did not see the twisted roots of the colossal oak that formed the den in which she was contained. Instead she saw mountains stretching out beyond the clouds, an ocean that rippled in the sky, and a field of red that was illuminated by golden fireflies. She revelled in the scent of poppies and the drizzle of rain. It was a world that provoked a sense of...peace.

But today...she could only smell smoke.

Wake up, Sappara, Mother had told her, It's not your time yet.

Her movements were clumsy and her bones ached in their disuse - an ancient being rumbling back to life. For the first time since the wayward family arrived in Gemini, a Saboran Elite emerges back into it's plains. Even if she was merely a shell of what she was in her youth, there was still a dominant aura that surrounded the broken woman. Be aware of your surroundings, came the dominating thought from her homeland - Saboran instinct. But this place was no jungle, there was a lack of shadows around every corner - the green fields gave her a clear view.

Find your family.

She stumbles, staggers, limps - but she moves. Her chest aches with every breath, and her mind is still catching up and trying to understand.

"TERRA?!"

Find your children.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YO-"

She ignores the pain when she runs, ignores the burn that she feels everytime her heart beats. There is something inside her, trying to claw its way out - she recognises it. Embers that are crackling and spitting but there is no flame that takes over her soul. There was once a raging beast that tore apart everything in it's sight, but it's old, crippled, weak. Her fury has become a whimper.

It's killing her, she realises in that moment.

"THE FUCK YOU THINKING COMING FOR MY FUCKING BROTHER LIKE THAT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!"

Dawn provided one positive for Sappara - it let her easily spot the fire that led her to them. Whether they'd see her coming in the receding dark was dependent on how much they paid attention in the ongoing chaos, but one thing was certain - Mother is here now. And Mother felt hair being pulled out and a chunk being taken from one of her ears as her daughter unleashed an anger that ran in their bloodline.

Because Sappara stood guard above Antares; the tiny, defenceless child who had lashed out in the worst possible way.

A small trickle of blood ran down the side of her face, as dazed, confused eyes looked up to Lucina. "Just...a child?.." Why? Why was her daughter trying to harm a tiny child? Her breaths are ragged as she sweeps her eyes to her other two children (where was Khanda?), and her pupils narrow as she spots Kaolin. "Y-Your eye..." A paw lifts up and reaches out towards him, a mother completely lost in what to do. "Kaolin...what..." She finally brings her gaze to the two strangers, that panicked feral look still present in her eyes.

(The embers are crackling louder, beginning to spark, and her heart feels like it's about to burst).

"Get a healer..." Her voice is quiet, but that powerful Elite started to shine back through, the red ink feeling heavy beneath her eyes. Her voice becomes more firm, more commanding, more fitting for a woman like her. "Get my son a healer."

If they still hesitated around her, for any reason, there would be no hiding the outburst-

"NOW!!!"

"TERRA?!"

Her brother's voice called her name, but before she could turn to look, he was there.

"Kao-"

And then Terracotta's world exploded.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YO-MY EYE!""

"You MOTHERFUCKER!!!  THE FUCK YOU THINKING COMING FOR MY FUCKING BROTHER LIKE THAT YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!  WHO'S THE GODDAMN MEAN ONE NOW, HUH?!?!?You even LOOK within FUCKING SPITTING DISTANCE of my family again and I'LL RIP YOUR FACE A NEW HOLE!!!"

"I was a dick, but you could've hit me without the fire, Just my two cents."

"What is your problem?!"

Terra squeezed her eyes shut, and when the snapped back open, they reflected the flames at their feet.

"Knock it off!" She roared, displaying a temper that was previously buried deep within.

"T-Terra?! Are you okay?!" Kao asked

She spun her head towards him, seeing the mess of his face.  Her own contorted, reflecting her feeling of sadness, guilt and worry.

"I should be asking yo-" She began softly, only to be interrupted.

"Y-Your eye..." Mom?  How had Sappara known they'd needed her?  Suddenly, she was there...

"You... why did you... stupid stupid." Lucy...

Everything happened in a rush. Her family had suddenly risen from their graves, and rallied around Kaolin with apparitionary speed.  All except her father... Thresher was in a grave too deep, rooted in the earth under the boughs of a flaming tree.

"Get a healer... Get my son a healer. NOW!!!"

"There's no time for a healer. You need to get him into the water, I'll try and find some herbs. I'm sure I can find some aloe somewhere."

No time to argue, Terra turned from Livid and walked past the red oddity cowering in the sand.  Curiosity forgotten in the wake of crisis.

"You!" She rounded on the boy who had thrown the flames. "Go get a healer." Her tone was a flat order, daring him to argue with three angry women. She shot Lucy a glance, hoping her sister would take up her meaning.  Then, in a voice much softer and kinder, she spoke to her brother. "Come on, Kao.  It's gonna sting, but it'll help."

The flaming girl led her coldfire brother to the sea, while the rage in her heart burned hotter than his eye.

His arm swings, paw burning with the crackle of embers – but suddenly the slate woman is gone and in her place is a boy. It’s too late to stop, too late to divert his attack or back away. No time to even pull back the momentum.
Mismatched eyes widen a fraction in horror –

(but there’s a grim twist of satisfaction in his gut as the blow connects, and a nagging urge to go after Livid again because she had evaded punishment and it isn’t right.)

The feeling lasts only a moment, a split second before his heart freefalls and ears pin back as the fire-kissed boy screams. He needs help, needs the wound to be cooled and dead skin peeled away. He needs – Antares takes a miniscule step forward, jaws parted but no words escaped him as shades of blue flooded the scene.

The child flinches as the screeching girl lunges close and but he doesn’t shut his eyes in time to avoid seeing the blue stranger take the flurry of attacks in his stead.
(Something stirs in chest, an intense urge to reach out to her – help her – but the child in him wins, pressing again Hickory’s vivid coat as the boy pulls him close).
Antares doesn’t register their words as he simply stares numbly between Sappara and the burnt flesh of Kaolin’s face.

You! Attention snaps to the flame kissed girl, lips curling in a defensive show of teeth. He wants to scream or cry or run away. Go get a healer. “No…” The pale prince whimpers as Harriette’s kind face comes to mind. He can picture disappointment or disgust or anger in her eyes and suddenly the boy can’t hold back a wave of nausea.

Sick spills from his jaws into the sand, across his paws and down his chest. “I didn’t – it was – I can’t…” And without another word, the pale prince turns and flees from what he’s done.

(In mere seconds he runs into a male win wine red eyes. His heart lurches with at the sight of him and words spill from his mouth. The beach – go help – )

He’s nearly knocked over as a pale youth covered in the putrid scent of vomit barrels into him – he stares with concern and tries to question the boy, but the child simply stammers and stares as though he’s seen a ghost.

There’s urgency in the boy’s voice as he stammers out words like help them and hurt and the beach before he continues his flight deeper into the heart of Gemini. Auri El is torn for a moment – to follow the boy or head toward the beach – but he soon decides to see just what happened at the beach to frighten the child so and resolve to find the boy later.

Breaking into a run, the ex-Saboran races toward the coast, wine reds assessing the situation quickly as he sidles up beside the only familiar face – but there’s familiar red tattoos in the mix too, and it’s difficult to tear his gaze away from the obviously Saboran woman.

“Liv, my friend, what’s happened here?” He would listen to her explanation as he moved to approach the pretty fire colored girl and the injured boy toward the waters. “Don’t dip your head in! There’s too much sand and particles in the water. It’ll get the wound dirty. Here, I can help.” He was not officially a healer, but the art has been passed to him at a young age. Quickly, Auri El pulled a cloth and wads of cotton from his satchel. Wrapping the wads of cotton within the cloth, he’d soak it into the cold water, hopefully allowing the cotton to be soaked while keeping any sand or other matter from reaching. “Dab this on the burns to clean it for now.” He’d instruct Terracotta. “It’ll do the job until we can clean it more thoroughly with fresh water.” Wine red gaze would peer at the injury as he pulled marigold from his satchel to make into a quick poultice. “I’m afraid there is a slim chance of saving your sight, my boy. But we’ll prevent infection.”

Auri El then took a moment to glance at the others upon the beach. “Is everyone else alright? Any other injuries? I have herbs for shock, too.” Eyes fell upon the strange red boy who looked absolutely frightened, the Saboran woman, and the furious blue youth that appeared to be her child.

(There was a guarded suspicion in his eyes as he gazed at the tattooed woman, as though silently questioning if she was the one to inflict such damage to the youth – the scene felt eerily Saboran, after all)