Chapter 1 It was dark. That was the only thing he was really sure about. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell that this kind of darkness was unnatural. He curled up into a ball, twitching in discomfort. The darkness felt like a thick blanket, wrapping around him and making it hard to move. His eyelids fluttered open, only to see... nothing. The blackness pressed in on his eyeballs, making him panic. Despite the dark weight pressing down on him, he forced himself to move. He turned and twisted, trying frantically to see something, anything. The silence roared in his ears, and he pressed his paws over his eyes and ears in a futile attempt to drown it out. It was hard to think. It was hard to breathe. A sharp crack sounded from somewhere above him, making him flinch. He cracked his eyes open, just a sliver. A gasp escaped him at what he saw. Actually, he wasn't sure what he was seeing. It looked almost like a jagged crack, a small rip in the darkness. It was strange-- beautiful, even. And so gloriously bright. Light poured down onto him from the tear, illuminating his face. It washed over his face, making him blink at it's brightness. At that moment, he only knew one thing-- he had to get to that light. He struggled towards it. Each kick and flail brought him a little closer, until he could almost reach it. Straining, he stretched his forelegs as far as he could, until finally his paw hooked onto the edge of the opening. He pulled as hard as he could. With a crunch, he felt the opening give underneath his paws. Deafening cracks rang through the silence as he pushed, widening the fissure more and more with every shove. He squeezed his eyes shut as white light spilled out of the newly formed hole, enveloping him in its bright coldness. Over the sound of blood rushing in his ears, he could vaguely hear jumbled sounds that arranged themselves into words. "Oh look. It's hatching."