#opalizedfossil

Carnelian did not sleep often.

The reason for this was, more often than not, because of her dreams. She always seemed to dream when she slept, cursed with the dreaded ability to remember them long after she woke. She often dreamed of those she had lost, of her lost mate, and of the offspring she never got to meet.

From what she has heard from gems who studied the Earth and its inhabitants, some of the Earthlings had developed the concept of heaven and hell, of going somewhere after you died or were shattered. Sometimes, Carnelian could not help but wonder if her mate and their unborn gemlings were in the good place, or if such a place even existed.

Still, Carnelian has had her time to mourn. Thousands of years of time. And she has five living, breathing gemlings with Fossil to think about. Five living gemlings had to be worth more than an unknown number of dead ones.

Even so, she is not sleeping tonight. Instead, she allows Fossil to curl up against her while she sleeps, resting her head on top of Fossil's with her eyes half-closed. There was a storm brewing outside, and rain pelted the windows, accompanied by the boom of far off thunder.

Carnelian has weathered many storms, so she thinks nothing of it, and does not think about how it could be affecting her gemlings. Now five years old (has it been so long since they were born?), they sleep in their own room, all five together often huddling together for warmth and safety.

But tonight, one of them was not with them.

Carnelian starts to doze off – not quite realizing she is doing it – until a noise startles her into waking. She whips her head towards the door, putting one arm around Fossil protectively until she can figure out what the intruder is. However, she lowers her hackles when she realizes there is no threat.

Their only fossil child, Lovebug, stands in their doorway, looking at her mothers with tear-filled eyes. Fossil is still sleeping, so Carnelian takes it upon herself to answer the call of their distressed gemling.

“Hello, little one,” she says calmly. Her words are punctuated by a yawn she cannot hold back. “What's the matter?”

“Had a bad dream,” Lovebug says in response. Although she's been able to talk for some time now, she did not truly begin speaking until long after her sisters did. Her parents chalked it up to her wild origins.

Carnelian pauses at Lovebug's words, before she lifts her arms and parts them, encouraging her smallest gemling to come to her. Though Carnelian is not what one would call warm and cuddly, her whole demeanor changes when she's with her babies.

“Alright, c'mere,” Carnelian says as Lovebug scampers over into her sire's arms. Carnelian lifts her up and puts her on her lap, giving a small smile. “Oof, you're starting to get big. One day you'll be too big for me.”

“Nuh-uh!” Lovebug squeaks, nuzzling underneath her mother's chin. “Never.”

Carnelian laughs softly, then leans back, still keeping Lovebug close to her chest as she leans against the pillows.