One sky blue eye and one hot pink gazed up towards the female, nose twitching delicately as Hesperus scented her, hoping that it was his mother coming back. When the strange new scent hit him instead, he whimpered and curled himself up tighter, as though he could hide himself with his glowing fur. His delicate wings tried to cover himself, but they were too small and thin to do anything but dim his glow every so slightly.

The young pup, barely old enough to be off his mother’s teat, whimpered again, not quite sure what to do. Maybe if he waited, his mother would return. All he had to do was wait, right?