CLOUD'S QUARTERS

Born to original Outsiders Mirage and Skie, before Skie went mad... and before Mirage was released from her immortal life, they had a fine, stable daughter. While still on Zekira, Cloud opted to remain in the city of Gihal, where breeding offices frequently called upon her skills in selecting genetics, even though she officially could never hold a Breeder's Degree. Cloud is a tall, slender woman, with a very young appearance. Her heart shaped face is less striking than her mother's was, but more mature than her father's. She has strong white skin, grey hair that is usually kept up in a bun or cut short around her neck, and slate eyes -- she is color blind like her father was. Cloud's heritage also means that she is quite adept at mind control. Perhaps it is that feature which allowed her to remain with people for so long in Zekiran society, before Outsiders were considered a threat. She is not meek, but she is certainly forgiving and pleasant to be around, a smooth talker and skilled at debate as well as diplomacy. Cloud's quarters are roomy but not huge, and kept quite like a normal home on Zekira, including an office room and several guest rooms. The ceilings are tall, and there are several half-floor lofts, with small plants and rock gardens framing the whole area. Cloud is a believer in clean, open places, and dislikes things to be out of place or moved. She won't snap at anyone or any animal if something breaks or is moved, but she will definitely clean up immediately and put things right after the visitors leave.

While visiting Katisyr Station, Cloud and some others picked up some really interesting creatures. The small dragons found there come in a huge variety of colors, and often have powers similar to Zekiran psionics! Because of this, Cloud has chosen an egg which she is told will hatch into a brown/green male, having the powers over earth and life. She will name this creature after the lifegiving Ertin river on Zekira's continent of Curra.

And here is Ertin after his hatching! He is a proud, strong fellow, and loves to burrow around in some of the Ship's agricultural centers. Between he and Nerain, they will have mudfights, and when Kali comes by, it's sure to get even more fun!

Cloud looked around at her quarters and sighed. It had been another century perhaps and she'd kept certain plants alive, while others died away. She always saved little clippings and seeds if she could, so that perhaps she could revive them again some decade or other. She wanted something more permanent. "Why can't you just live like we do..." She complained to the plant nearest her. A voice startled her in response. "Because they are merely alive. We are immortal, my dearest." Viridia mentally apologized for entering Cloud's quarters unannounced, but she had noticed Cloud being much more quiet of late. If her father's temperment ever surfaced, it was there. "What is it that you want, dearheart?" Viridia asked. Cloud looked around, and paced. "Other than a home?" "This may be our home for a very long time to come, Cloud," Viridia said, her tone warning the younger immortal of folly. They had both gone through times of insanity due to their lifespan, and not least because they lived on a ship drifting eternally through space. "I want to have a companion... But ... Not something unmanagable like that nasty Neres Storm that Tresis has." Viridia coughed out a laugh. "Ah, yes, the only black dragon ever hatched at the Glenn." That got her thinking. "You know... we'll be moving past a certain world, and I know of a certain breed of dragon. Smaller than those, but not much. I think a far better companion for you than plants..." Cloud brightened up considerably. Her broad smile so reminded Viridia of... Well, days so long past that stars lived and died before then. "Could we go there then? What is this place? What must I do?" Viridia calmed Cloud a bit, and embraced her shoulders. "Come along. It is called the Starlight Hatchery. I have intercepted interesting ... things... coming from there, their supervisor Sarai is an intriguing person. Perhaps you shall meet her." Cloud clapped happily. "Oh I would like that! Please! Let's take the ship there!" "We might stay a while..." Viridia said, as they walked toward the navigation rooms, "I know of some others around here who have been aching for companionship..."

The Hatchery welcomed the odd Zekirans into their fold, with pleasure. Though there were some who gave Cloud's companion Szhraad a wide berth. Cloud clung to Viridia most of the time she was there, but then when the hatching began, Sarai was quite eager to have them all approach the sands and the eggs upon them. With an encouraging nod to both Szhraad and Cloud, Viridia took her place among the viewers in the stands. Several hatchlings came from their vibrant shells, and one of them went to Szhraad! Cloud was thrilled for him, but... She also wanted her own beautiful little dragonet. Her heart began to ache, pounding hard in her narrow chest. The golden dragonet which had come from her shell moments before still looked over everyone, even while her clutch mates chose their bonds. When the young golden hatchling came to speak to Cloud, her voice was an echo of beauty beyond all recollection. "Cloud," she said, "my name is Aidanth. You will never be alone again, I promise." Cloud's breath caught in her throat. This wonderful being had chosen her -- to forever be with her! Embracing the horned dragonet, Cloud allowed tears of joy to roll down her face.

"You do not want to eat that do you?" Asked Aidanth of her Cloud. Cloud stopped herself from placing the sandwich into her mouth. "... Yes, actually I do, sweet." "But it is so much meat for you. You are so small I would not want you to choke." Cloud raised her thin dark eyebrow and began laughing. "You just want another piece for yourself. Why not go to the kitchens yourself and beg from the cooks?" "Like I used to? Oh, Cloud, I know they did not like me doing that. It was silly of me." Cloud stuffed a bit more of the tasty roast sandwich into her mouth and ungracefully spoke through it. "We could go and see what they think. Maybe they forgot about it..." Aidanth gave off a chuckle, and thought that her rider was getting used to having fun again.

"Such a pretty night..." Cloud commented. "It is always night here, my friend. You want to stay somewhere that there is day AND night." "...I do. It is still so wonderful to have you with me, though. Aidanth, I don't know what I would ever do without you." There was an uneasy silence then, for both of them knew well. It had been more than a year since Aidanth and Marantanth had come to the Zekiran ship, and they were spreading all the happy moods they could muster. Cloud still worked on hers, though. She needed sunlight. "I am the color of the sun," Aidanth pointed out cleverly. Cloud laughed, "then let me bask in your warmth!" So she did!

One day, perhaps decades later, the Zekiran ship was moving around a beautiful cloud-shaped galaxy, when they spotted something on their monitors. There was a place giving off a signal - a sure sign of life! "It has been a while since we landed anywhere," Cloud commented and several others agreed. "Maybe we could see if they've got any interesting inhabitants?" You just want to see if there are any cute companions to cuddle. I am bigger than I used to be, and cuddling with me is hard. Isn't it? "It... well, yeah, it is. But I like sleeping against you too, Aidanth. Would you like to come along and see what there is down here?" I will wait for you to bring something cuddly to me. I promise I will not crush it or squish it. "Well that's a bonus," Cloud smirked while she and some others took a landing craft to the world below their ship. It was a friendly, sparce place, but it was clean and had ... cats! Lots of them! In many colors and shapes... With markings that seemed to give them personalities. "I could bring one of these back to Aidanth," Cloud said. "Could I?" She asked the attendant at the Galaxy Cats stall, and she was handed an egg in response. "Take good care of it. Soon enough it will hatch and you'll know what type and gender of Galaxy Cat it is." The attendant said. Cloud nodded. Then she asked about the food they might eat, how much space would be required, and things about their anatomy, but the person behind the counter couldn't really answer. She said, "you'll know when it hatches what to do. Good luck!"

Sure enough, a few weeks later the little blue-violet egg hatched. It was a surprise to find a feline creature inside it, and Cloud commented that she was black as night. "Nightsky," she announced, "is the newest member of our ship!" The little cub squirmed about so Cloud set her down. "You rest now. You've got a lot of ship to explore." The Galaxy Cat huddled close and fell to sleep.

After a while, with a little shadow following her around the ship, Cloud noticed that the Galaxy Cat she'd adopted had started losing its dark coloration, and was now turing a vibrant night-blue color! But more than that, she had bright star-like patterns on her fur, and paws dipped in the same yellowy color. "A galaxy-galaxy cat," Cloud laughed. "Nightsky, you're the best!" Aidanth let off a growling chuffle, I thought I was the best! "You are the best dragon, and Nightsky is the best galaxy cat. Obviously." Cloud laughed again, as Nightsky tried to squirm out of her tight hug.