Aleph stared at Omega for a moment.

Pylo and Quarti waited.

Eventually Aleph just sighed and asked.

“Well?”

“What?! you want me to start?”

“You were the one that suggested it”

Omega looked a little bit grumpy before sighing and giving a nod.

“Fine I guess I can tell a story... uh... No, nothing spooky... um... Ah! This is one I heard a few lives ago, so it might be a little off..."

Pylo waited, drifting in the slight buffets of spores and vapor that occasionally bumped into her here in the baffles.

The story formed in words inside Omega’s head, but more they formed a rhythm and a pulse in the air around her too, and it seemed almost like it spoke to more than just words. Deeper harmony and finally song.

“There once was a stonecutter, who lived on the mountain”

“She worked cutting stone, for the village each day”

The beat was steady and calm, plodding and peaceful, after a few moments Pylo realized that Quarti had started humming to add to the pace of the story.

“She made what she needed and there was nothing that she wanted”

Aleph was rocking a little bit and the way that words almost seemed to precede the speaking and the air in her head made pylo think this was probably a very familiar story for her.

“And the spirit of the mountain made sure she was safe”

“Then along down the road, came a prince’s procession”

“And all of the villagers bowed to the prince as she passed”

“And the stone cutter grew ashamed of her lack of possessions”

“So she prayed to the mountain to grant what she asked”

Quarti’s voice rose over Omega with a smooth lilting around the words in her head and humming in the aether and the air of the orb. It was sweet and pleading and pained.

“If I could be the prince and rule all that I see. This lot’s not meant for me, just a stone cutter”

Omega and Aleph stared at Quarti. Pylo thought it was a very pretty thing she did personally, very pleasant.

Aleph muttered over to Omega “Now she actually says things coherently? Now?”

Omega shook her head and laughed a bit before ruffling Aleph’s hair a half swallowed whisper of “poet” before she continued, voice taking on a bit of a rhythm and beat now. In balance with Quarti.

“And she awoke as the prince, in a glittering palace, with bountiful gardens that stretched on and on”

There was an exaltation to the words, delight, it made Pylo feel warm and fuzzy. It was nice when friends helped each other out like that. She decided this was a good story. Pylo was also impressed by the powers of this mountain, they were a very strong friend to have.

“And she had what she needed, there was nothing that she wanted, she felt like she got what she asked”

Yes pylo liked this story it was very happy and showed nice big friends helping little friends. She could definitely relate.

“But a storm cloud blew in and her gardens were wasted, by the power and the fury of a storm set unbound”

Oh well that was not good, pylo fretted and twiddled her phalanges, this story was getting much darker than she anticipated.

Quarti’s voice rose again, full of hurt and fury and a need to protect and control.

“And she sang! If I was the storm and ruled all that I see, not at it’s whim and mercy a mere stone cutter!”

Omega nodded along and her and Quarti’s voices rose, in harmony. The air and the aether and the baffles of the collectors buzzing along.

Pylo’s own corticals and ovi trembling in the harmony of it. She leaned forward, could the mountain help with something so fierce as this ‘storm?’ she had seen great terrible storms in the reef, made of aether and starlight and terrible resonance.

Could the two friends master the storm? What would they do?!

“And she was the storm! spreading terror and violence, her thunder and her lightning made everyone run.

But the mountain was tall and just sat there in silence and so she thought to herself ‘The storm has many powers but the mountain has one!’ ”

Pylo felt her thoughts stall out and catch.

Wait what?

But the mountain was her friend... that was not right...

“And so she sang, If I was the mountain and ruled all that I see, not just to be a mere stone cutter”

Pylo felt a crumpling sensation inside, surely the story could not be going the way the shape was unfolding in Omega, Quarti and Aleph.

The stonecutter was not JUST a stonecutter!

She was the storm! She shouldn't have to be anymore.

Then it was quiet.

Finally Omega spoke softly.

“And the spirit of the mountain, said this is the last wish I can grant you, for if you are the mountain I have nowhere to reside”

Pylo felt crushed, that was so much worse then she was expecting! that was horrible! and what of all the others that the mountain had given her friend a place in?

“But it made her the mountain, there was nothing that she wanted, until she felt a pain, chipping away at her side”

Quarti gave a sigh of sadness before Omega continued.

“And there was a stonecutter, chipping away at her side”

Pylo felt herself trying to shrivel up along her insides. That, that was awful. The poor mountain, the poor stone cutter!

This time Quarti’s voice was sad, aching loss and pain, friends gone and mistakes etched in the past.

Pylo shuddered at even the thought of it.

“And she cried... ‘if only I could be, if only I could be, just a stone cutter...”

She couldn't take it anymore and just started keening into the aether and spilling stinging pollen grains of loss and pain and childish desires of comfort into the room.

Her voice trembling as she tried to express herself to her passengers.

“THAT WAS SO SAD! THE POOR MOUNTAIN! THE POOR STONECUTTER!”

All of them stared out at her.

Aleph questioned softly but bubbling with confusion.

“Are... Are you CRYING? Is she CRYING?!”

Omega was a little shocked.

“I think so?”

Quarti crooned out to her and pressed a hand to the membrane of the pod.

“Aw poor dear!”

Tunie chirped up at the cry of distress.

“▟▖?↹◇”