Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Kiwi Bird
Birthday: Thursday, September 15, 2011
Owner: Nellas
Element: Void 
Hatchlings are all lovely creatures in their own ways, but kiwi birds are some of the cutest. Despite their inability to fly or go on adventures, they are beloved companions, largely due to their appearances. Kiwi bird hatchlings are fat little birds with nothing more on their minds than a good scratch on their necks, or perhaps their next meal of kiwi. The castle gardens have expanded into orchards, and many exotic fruits now grow there. If a magi has lost track of their kiwi bird hatchling, it is a sure enough bet that the little companion is among the new trees, busy filling its round belly. When not eating, kiwi birds love to watch the other birds around the castle, and sometimes sadly attempt to mimic them by flying. Alas, a kiwi bird hatchling will never achieve flight, as its stubby wings are too small to hold its weight.
Shy and nocturnal by nature, kiwi birds are becoming more and more rare with each passing year. So much so, in fact, that their existence has been subject of some debate for the last century. Their falling numbers are due to their inability to fly, and that their main food source is an exotic fruit. This fruit, the kiwi, grows only around the edges of the Jungle of Raza, where many predators are more than happy to find a flightless bird for their next meal. The kiwi birds have adapted to these dangers in two unique ways. They possess the best sense of smell of any bird, and can smell an enemy long before it is necessary. Their other talent is the reason for the kiwi birds becoming companions: magic. Their magic is that of shape shifting, and the kiwi birds do it so seamlessly that they become completely undetectable. When a kiwi bird calls upon its power, the fat little bird seamlessly melts and shrinks into its favorite fruit, a kiwi. Kiwi bird hatchlings are not so adept at this, and often will change into a kiwi but forget a telltale leg behind. While this is a comical sight, it could be a deadly mistake in the wild. Hatchlings are only able to change into kiwis, but will become more skilled with age. If a kiwi bird is under extreme duress, it can even change into another fruit, such as an orange or apple. No one quite knows why the kiwi bird always chooses food to change into, rather than a rock or blade of grass. A few skeptical scholars believe that the kiwi bird did not intentionally master magic, and that they possess this power by chance. This idea holds some merit, as the kiwi birds are one of the more unintelligent of species. Regardless, the magi have created a safe haven for the kiwi birds, and hope to find the secret behind their power of morphing.
Sprite art: GlassWalker (hatchling) | Description: Damien