A fun meeting place for the Four Moms forum on ff.net. With a large, expanding universe in the 1980's that parallels the Steven Universe canon, you're in for a fun ride. Character references, story fanart, and general inside jokes are presented here.
A pained gasp escaped Aquamarine's throat as he made contact with the wall, the shockwave alone sending the once cheering patrons of the Arena into a stunned silence. Various cracks surrounded the area of impact, bits of rubble falling clumsily to the ground beneath Aquamarine's feet. His head lolled forward, the sword and shield he'd held in his hands dropping unceremoniously out of his grip before disappearing into nothingness, puffs of smoke the only remnants of their existence.
He hadn't expected a gem of this caliber for the last fight today. All he'd been told was that his opponent was exceptionally strong, a true fighter among gems, and at the time, that had been more than enough for Aquamarine to know that he would need to keep his guard up the moment the match started. When he'd first set his eyes on his opponent, he knew immediately that what he'd been told was true; a gem of the quartz variety had been waiting for him, their eagerness evident in their body language. In all of his years being a fighter of the Arena, Aquamarine had yet to meet anyone who had such an air of confidence as they did. They were fully aware of their fighting prowess, and they wouldn't hesitate to show it to anyone who was unfortunate enough to step into their path.
Despite having years of experience in the Arena and his Preschooler background, Aquamarine felt himself being matched blow for blow as they fought, their weapons constantly clashing yet nearly missing their mark each and every time. For the second time since he'd been brought to the Arena, Aquamarine felt as though he'd been presented with an actual challenge - something to put his skills to the test with. Yet, as the fight dragged on, the quartz gem was slowly gaining the advantage, winning more of their exchanges and dealing damage to Aquamarine with each and every skirmish.
He hadn't expected the strange amount of endurance that they had. He hadn't expected their seemingly endless stamina. He hadn't expected their superior technique. Nor did he expect their surprising amount of physical strength; not even Hackmanite was as strong as this quartz was. In every sense of the word, Aquamarine had been outclassed, outmatched - for the first time in his life, Aquamarine was losing.
The final straw had been near the end of the match, when he'd faltered for just a moment. The quartz, seeing an opportunity for a clean hit, had rammed their war hammer directly into Aquamarine's right kneecap. The amount of pain he'd felt then was as if a piece of body had been torn directly off of his person, and he felt himself crumble onto the dirt floor, kneeling directly in front of his opponent. He'd tried to move away, to try and gain his distance after such a devastating blow, but found that he couldn't move any of his limbs. His arm, his hand, his leg, his foot - Aquamarine had lost complete control of his body, and it was only seconds afterwards that he realized what had happened.
His eyes widened at the realization, but slowly, Aquamarine closed them, having accepted his fate. Seeing this, the quartz gem had taken their hammer, held it behind them like a baseball bat, and swung with all of their might at Aquamarine's stomach, sending them flying across the Arena.
In that moment, Aquamarine felt no pain. He didn't feel any anger, nor did he feel any sadness or bitterness. The only thing occupying Aquamarine's mind was a peace he had never felt before; he felt truly weightless then, as if he'd been placed in a pool of water and was simply floating on its surface.
His vision was bleary as he opened his eyes, finding it hard to focus as his gaze constantly shifted. From what little he could see, small bits of blood had dripped onto the floor, forming small puddles at the front of his feet. He could just barely make out the approaching footsteps of the quartz before he felt himself being roughly pried from the wall he was stuck in. Lifted up by the hem of his coat, Aquamarine could see a warbled smile on his opponent's face before he was thrown high into the air, nearly touching the Arena's caged ceiling.
The faces of various gems were glued to Aquamarine's form, each with a different expression on their face; some looked angry, others looked happy, but a majority of them had looks of pure shock etched onto their faces, each in disbelief over what was currently happening. As he felt himself falling back down, his head had been turned just in time to see a few familiar outlines in the row directly in front of him.
Beryl's mouth was agape and his eyes wide open, constricted pupils latched onto Aquamarine's form as if he were a lifeline. He looked visibly paler, his skin a lighter color than it usually was. On his head was a smaller gem, green in color. An anxious expression could be seen on Verdite's face as he looked between his boss and the body flung into the air, and it looked as if he was trying to ask Beryl something. Another gem had perched themselves on the larger gem's shoulder, both hands clamped firmly over their mouth. Abalone had been thrown into a stunned silence, tears silently falling from their eyes as they watched Aquamarine's battered form.
The seconds felt as if they'd been hours, but eventually, gravity settled back in, and Aquamarine found himself falling back down to the floor, into the waiting arms of the quartz gem right below him. He knew that he wasn't going to be making it out of this pit alive; his opponent had made it clear from the get-go that this wasn't going to be a simple fight where both gems got to live to see another day.
Aquamarine was going to die.
Closing his eyes, Aquamarine took one final breath, flashes of images appearing within his mind. He could see a tall figure with a mask standing in front of him.
Sorry to throw a wrench in your plans, Obsidian. Looks like you'll be a group member short. Hope you can forgive me.
The form faded away to reveal a new one in its place, their hair a variety of colors.
You were an interesting one, Ammolite. Going to miss our little talks.
The humanoid shape shifted one last time, his gaze now settling onto a blue figure.
Agna. Well... looks like you won't have to keep your promise after all. Still, would have been nice to see what could have been. New gems with a new life on a new planet. Sounded too good to be true, anyway...
As Aquamarine approached the ground, the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smile. A sickening crack reverberated throughout the entirety of the Arena as the quartz swung their hammer directly into Aquamarine's head, his form disappearing the moment it made contact. A large puff of smoke was what was left in his wake, his gem stone falling to the ground with a dull thud. Eyeing the gem with a triumphant grin, the quartz hoisted their weapon up into the air, springing the previously quiet stands back to life, before bringing it down onto Aquamarine's gem.
The glimmering light that it once shone disappeared as it shattered, bits and pieces scattered across the Arena's floor.
"Moss, please stop! This isn't like you!" Prase cried out before narrowly dodging yet another slash from a curved copper-rose blade. Open cuts adorned her exposed arms and face as a result when she couldn't react in time.
Every plea seemed to fall on deaf ears as Moss continued her onslaught. "This place is changing you!" Prase shouted, only to be met with another swing of Moss' sword. She dashed forward with the sword's motion, catching Moss off guard. Prase took the opportunity to make a deft swipe to the back of Moss' leg before making some distance between them.
She then summoned her bow and drew the string back. Just a few minutes remained; if she could just stall her, it would all be over soon enough. Then they could finally just talk things out! They can get out like they planned, and everything between them could be like before.
Prase turned heel and pointed her arrow at the ground. I don't want to hurt… you." Her voice died off as soon as she lifted her gaze, followed by a quiet gasp. Moss was standing, nay, wincing in place, her fingers gripped where Prase's heel had struck her. Her knees were bent, as if threatening to give out from under her.
"I-I'm sorry," Prase stuttered, "I didn't mean-" Her words were stopped short at sight of the tip of Moss' mahogany brown braid lashing. She could only blink in disbelief before a barrage of wooden darts were sent flying her way. Knowing she couldn't avoid it, she quickly dropped her weapon and raised her arms to shield her face and gem.
She didn't even didn't even have a chance to register the pain shooting through her before she found herself slammed in to the cold hard ground. Prase's eyes shot open. Moss' hunch over form loomed over her. Her knees her firmly planted on either side of Prase's torso, effectively locking her in place. Her sword was tilted to the optimal position for decapitation.
Almost any other gem here would have shut their eyes, waiting for the darkness to envelop them. However, Prase could tear herself away from her assailant's eyes. There was nothing there. They were only dim, cold, and wolfish. The glint in her eyes that Prase would always see past Moss' hardened exterior was nowhere in sight.
"Moss, I know this isn't you," Prase said softly, her voice hoarse from her previous shouting. Her eyes were soft as she spoke, like she was suddenly at ease with her predicament. "I know… because the Moss Opal I love would never hurt me."
Upon uttering those words, there was a change in the opal above her. Something flickered in the back of her eyes. Prase's heaving chest fluttered with hope that she finally got through to her.
"What are you waiting for?! Finish it off!" A deep voice boomed over the crowd.
That was all it took for the flicker to go out, causing Prase's heart to sink. The Moss she knew was stuck down almost as soon as she appeared. Now all that was left was this stranger she couldn't recognize.
With a quick twist of her wrist, Moss angled her sword and plunged it deep in to Prase's abdomen. A shrill, bloodcurdling scream filled the arena, silencing the audience. In only a few seconds, Prase's form was replaced with a lime green cloud. Her smooth green gemstone clinked when it hit the ground.
Moss watched as it rolled to a stop in the dirt. Only then did reality come crashing down on her. Her sword hit the ground with a metallic clank and she recoiled her shaking hands in to herself.
"And the winner of the match is… Moss Opal!" the announcer announced, followed by the crowd erupting in to cheers.
That's my daughter!" a familiar voice proclaimed, his voice ripping through the celebrating.
Moss craned her neck up to catch sight of the speaker: a moss agate adorned in dendrites that perfectly mirrored her own. Pride and approval shone in his dark eyes.
His approval.
Her gaze fell back down to Prase's gem. It didn't matter if that's what she gained. The price for it could never be matched.
A pool of silver light spilled between the short thick bars to the window of Moss's holding cell. The air on that clear night was hot and sticky, causing her to shift uncomfortably in her leathery armor. There was also the constant low buzz of the cell entrence, powered by gem destabilizing technology, giving her restless nights. She knew she shouldn't have been here for this long, they were only holding cells, corrals for criminals unworthy of trials while the law officials decide a suitable punishment. It was only a short distance to the nearest harvesting unit from here. Moss supposed she had this coming. She had assaulted her commander in broad daylight with literal hundreds of witnesses to verify that claim. Where else could that have sent her?
With a melancholy sigh, she placed a hand on the window sill and looked out to the dark sky. The moon's phase resembled her eyes: a narrow shard. It almost seemed to carry an air of sentience from were she was, to her at least. It was sharp and dangerous, as if it could turn an cut a tear through the very heavens itself. To think that every gem on Homeworld could be looking at the same moon. Do they see it that same way she does?
Every gem. The same way. "Prase..." she whispered softly. "I'm sorry," she said, nearly inaudibly. At that moment, the breeze of the night picked up, brushing over her lips as if trying to carry her message. Even if it was just her imagination, she couldn't formulate what else to send her intangible messenger off with, or rather right way to word it. There were few worse ways they could have parted. Prase, being undignifingly dragged by her collar, and herself in a state she strove to relinquish. Moss grimaced at the memory of Moonstone's two spinels' yowls of pain as she thrashed against their restraint and the sheer panic written across Prase's face as she departed with the remaining spinel and former commander. "I couldn't protect you. Please forgive me..." Moss closed her eyes and focused on the howl of the wind past the bars. Expecting a reply was nothing more than wishful thinking. Longing for her partner's soft voice seared deep with in her chest.
A new sound, high and almost melodic, a deviation from the hum of the cell, caused Moss to snap her eyes open. Hope sparked with in Moss as she gazed upon the vast barren plains beyond the holding facility. A warm, measly breeze blew through the bars, accompanied by the same tune, and brushing back her side braids over her shoulder. Moss lowered her head, spark smothered before it could ignite. It's just the wind.
"Lights out in five!" a guard barked as he went down a cell block. He held a war axe that scrapped against the bars and walls as her took the head count. He was about to be on his way until he heard a disturbance in the cell he had recently passed. He growled and gripped his axe tightly as her marched over to the source.
When he reached the cell, he glared in to it, expecting to find a gem to challenge his word. Instead, his brow furrowed when he only saw the back of a gem. Short, green, a feminine figure, and... whistling? He hit her cell bars with the flat end of his weapon, causing the gem on the other side to flinch and turn around. "Shut it if you know what's good for you, song bird," he said in a testy tone.
Prase only blinked and watched him storm off when he didn't hear anything else. While there may have been many things she would apologize for, she wouldn't count this among them. She turned her attention back to the wall and placed a slender hand on the concrete surface. I'm okay. Please don't be sorry.
The soft sound of droplets of water hitting the ground was the only thing breaking the silence of the room, aside from Aquamarine's breathing. He lay on the cot provided for his cell, eyes cast up towards the hardened mud ceiling. It had been a few weeks since his encounter with one of the former 'fighters' of 'The Arena', and he'd learned very early on what his little display meant to the other prisoners held within this place; while a few gems made the choice to stay as far away from him as they could, he'd be called into the ring more than a handful of times as the days progressed. It seemed that many didn't like the idea of having to fight a 'Preschooler,' or to have a new fighter already grab the attention of the higher-ups not even a few years into their stay.
Closing his eyes, Aquamarine sighed as he rolled onto his side, attuning himself to the constant patter of the water droplets. It was only a matter of time before he was called back into the ring, and he'd need to conserve as much energy as he could in preparation for the next fight. Just when his consciousness began to slip away from him, Aquamarine's eyes shot wide open at the loud pounding against the metal door to his cell. Rubbing the tiredness from his eyes, Aquamarine sat up as a tall gem entered, followed by two armored guards.
"You two can leave. I'm going to have a little one on one talk with this guy." The two standing behind the taller figure looked at each other, uncertainty written on both of their faces, eliciting an annoyed sigh from the gem as he gestured for them to leave. "What do you think he's going to do, grind my gem into dust? The pebble's strong, but he isn't stupid. Now, if you'd be so kind..." Waving the guards off, the two reluctantly stepped out of the room, leaving Aquamarine and the new gem alone as they closed the door behind them.
"So," he said, glancing around the room with mild interest, "how have you been? You liking the place so far? Getting enough rest? You looked like you were dozing off when we came in."
Aquamarine's body tensed up as the stranger spoke. Why was he acting so... casual? What kind of position did this gem possess? Gripping the side of the cot tightly, Aquamarine eyed the gem up and down, slight confusion evident in his gaze. The gem's color scheme was a subdued orange, making it a bit easier on his eyes than the more 'brighter' individuals at 'The Arena.' He was tall - taller than him by a few inches - and seemed to have an air of authority about him. However, the way he spoke and the slouch in his posture made it feel as if he were talking with a close acquaintance. It was unsettling, for the most part, since Aquamarine had long forgotten what it felt like to be familiar with someone.
"What is it that you want?" Aquamarine's voice came out a bit hoarse as he spoke, and he felt a twinge of irritation at the gem's smug grin. He'd ceased talking since his arrival, finding no use for it other than to answer an official or a guard since none of the other fighters would so much as strike up a conversation with him.
"Straight to the point, huh? Well, let's just say that I could make this," the gem gestured towards the barren room, wiping his hand against his cloak as a drop of water fell onto his hand, "a thing of the past. A good bunch'a people know about you, pebble, and you've been winning fights like crazy. But if word got out that a 'diamond in the rough' lived in a place like this, well, that simply wouldn't do, would it?" The gem chuckled as he stepped over to the bed, holding a hand out towards Aquamarine. "So, you've got two options here, pebble. You can keep fighting and do as you like, whittling away at the rest of our fighters until you've earned the necessary requisites to earn more 'suitable' living conditions, or..." The gem paused, the grin on his face growing into a full smile as he continued, "I get all claims to yourself as a fighter and move you up to one of the higher floors. Think of me as a manager of sorts; your fights are one of our big moneymakers here, pebble, there's no questioning that and with me overseeing them, we can use the money to help... 'better' the cause around here, so to speak.
"So, what's it going to be? Are you in, or are you out?"
The influx of information hit Aquamarine hard as he began processing what the implications of the deal were, should he agree to it. He could either fight until he earned a spot on the next floor, or, he could move up a good few floors at the expense of letting this gem take over his life as a fighter in 'The Arena.' While the idea sounded nice on paper, knowing full well that the money earned for his matches would go into the funds needed to keep this place running filled Aquamarine with disgust. But did it truly matter, in the end? Regardless of the popularity of the fighter, money was always earned after each and every fight.
Silence reigned in the room for a few more moments before Aquamarine took the gem's hand and shook it, much to the latter's delight. There was a fire in his eyes as he walked over to the door and knocked on it, prompting the awaiting guards outside to open it. "The name's Beryl, pebble. Now, let's see if we can't get you a proper bed, shall we? I can tell that this is the start of a beautiful relationship..."
"Tsk. Tsk. This is quite the mess you've made, my sweet," said a feminine voice. She shook her head and tapped her heeled shoe in disapproval, as an elder would when giving a scolding. Filed blue nails tapped against one of the few bits furniture that was still in tact.
What she said could be considered a rather large understatement. The room that she stood in that was once neatly furnished with only the finest amenities was thrown in to disarray. Fractals of cracks adorned each wall, including a glass sliding door who's shards threatening to collapse like a deck of cards. Mats, pillows, sheets, and tapestries were all either burnt or shredded to a near unrecognizable state. Craftwork was shattered, lighting mechanisms were blown out, and all forms of seating were overturned or reduced to scrap. Perhaps most notably of all, the metal padlocked door to the hall bore quite a large dent, as if blunt force had bent the metal out of shape.
In the middle of this ruin, a green opal sat there on her knees, sharply bent forward and eyes fixed on the hard marble floor. The tattered white mesh she wore over a thigh length slip hung loosely from her slender frame. Open wounds, cuts and gashes, could be seen through the tears in her thin attire. Her legs were dotted with a slight purple hue that clustered together and appeared more black near her joints. Thin, off-white markings embellished her exposed back and collarbone, yet none came too close to her gem.
The sound of metallic heels clicking against the marble echoed off the walls, slowly drawing closer to her position. She clutched her sides tightly, dread overcoming her with every footstep. "Oh, but I know, lovely. It was just an accident." The sound stopped short of only a few inches of Prase's lowered head. "Wasn't it?" After only a few seconds, a frown tugged at the gem's lips. No response.
Prase didn't dare to even blink. Her mouth was dry and throat felt tight. She didn't respond. She couldn't. Anything she did was wrong, just like her. An impatient sigh told her that a response was in fact expected. She parted her lips slightly, only for a shooting pain to come across her right cheek. The force of the shoes contact caused green gem to fall on to her side and writhe while clutching the side of her face.
"No matter," the gem continued. She crouched down and placed one hand on the opal's shoulder and two fingers over her lips. "Unfortunately, this can't go unpunished." A kiss as cold as ice was given behind the opal's ear, elicting a shudder from her. "I'm sorry, my sweet, but how else will you learn?" The green gem could only give her a stifled squeak as her only form of protest. The gem looming over her only gave a small laugh. "You're cute when you're speechless like this," she cooed in to the opal's ear.
A single tear rolled down the bridge of Prase's nose before a blue aura of energy encompassed her person. She's heard this is what she deserved for making a mistake... for being one.
"Make way, make way! Fresh meat coming through! Get back into your cells!" A rather large gem held their hand out in front of them, shoving the gems that had begun to form around him and the group of new 'fighters' that he was escorting. Today had been another sizable haul, as per usual; they had managed to fit a little under thirty gems into a rather small and tight escort ship, and many of them seemed to have at least some knowledge of combat.
As the official continued pushing their way through the crowd and attempted to quell the yelling of various threats directed towards the newcomers, one of the members of the group suddenly fell forward, landing face first onto the floor beneath his feet. Silence reigned for only a moment before raucous laughter erupted from the mass of gems and engulfed the room. The gems moved until a small circle was formed where the gem had fallen, the official and the rest of the newcomers having been pushed all the way to the back of the gathering of gems.
As the gem began getting back up, a boot quickly made contact with his head, making him roll over onto his back, and he let out a quiet groan as his vision began to blur. Through his obscured vision, he could see that a gem from the crowd had stepped forward into the circle with him, though he was unable to tell what they looked like at the moment. He felt it best not to give the gem another hit in as he quickly rose to his feet, shaking his head in an attempt to ward off the wave of dizziness that currently plagued him, and took a glance at them once he was able to see a bit more clearly.
The gem was surprisingly moderate in stature; a majority of those surrounding them easily passed by six feet in height, and the one standing in front of him seemed around the same height as himself, give or take. There body was entirely yellow, though with a bit of a subdued hue to it, and it was obvious that they have been a fighter in the Arena for quite some time. Their robes - for clothing seemed to be an inappropriate term for the rags that they had become - were looking worse for wear, marred with various gashes and cuts scattered about. A few scars could be seen on their face and neck, evidence of the multitude of battles that they've fought since their initial arrival, and a small, circular gem could be seen on their right shoulder.
"Been too long since they've put me in the Ring. I know what that means around here, and I might as well make the most of it." Fists raised, a crazed look overtook the Tourmaline's features as he rushed at the gem, the crowd around them now roaring for a fight.
Still feeling a bit disoriented, the gem was barely able to dodge out of the way of an incoming fist, feeling it just graze his cheek as he sidestepped away. Taking the moment to catch his breath, he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders before being pushed back into the action, directly in front of his opponent. Before he had a chance to react, the Tourmaline had raised his foot up and pushed it into the gem's stomach.
Feeling the wind being knocked out of him, the gem took a step back, holding his stomach to try and alleviate the pain, and just barely managed to avoid a knee that was rising up towards his face. "That can't be all that you've got, pebble. You won't last a single match in here if you can't handle a little bit of heat." The Tourmaline let out a chuckle as the opposing gem took a few seconds to himself.
"..." The gem remains silent as the rest of the group begin egging him on, making light of the current situation as if they were watching a play. Their face locked into a firm expression, the gem took another breath before gesturing for the Tourmaline to attack him. A small bit of irritation welled up inside of the Tourmaline at the provocation, and they rushed towards the gem to end their little scuffle.
Right as the Tourmaline had pulled their fist back, the gem's hand had wrapped around their throat and slowly raised him into the air. Despite having no need for air or breathing, the Tourmaline's eyes grew frantic as they began clawing at the gem's arm in an attempt to be released from the hold.
The mass of gems had since gone silent at this point, voices caught in their throats and eyes slightly widened as they watched the gem begin to apply pressure to his grip, resulting in the Tourmaline increasing their efforts in escaping the hold. The seconds seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace before the gem eventually let out a soft sigh. With a quick motion, the gem squeezed their hand into a fist, and watched as a puff of smoke blew up in front of him, the gem stone of his opponent falling onto the floor with a dull thud.
The surrounding gems looked down at the defeated gem for a few moments before turning their attention back to the gem still standing within the circle. A few loud voices could be heard from behind the crowd, and it was clear by their tone that they weren't exactly happy. Before a few more members of the staff of the Arena were upon them, one of the gems from the crowd asked for what the gem was.
Looking down at his hand, Aquamarine wiped it against his pants before turning his gaze towards the gem in question.
"B-But I'm telling you, I don't even fight! I don't even have a-" A pained grunt escaped the Topaz's lips as he was roughly shoved forward, his eyes blinded by the bright light entering his vision but his ears picking up on a cacophony of noise, followed by a loud thud from behind him. Getting up to his feet, the Topaz quickly dusted himself off before moving his gaze upwards. Dirt covered the ground all around him in the rather spacious area that he was in, and wide metal bars arched towards the ceiling from the walls that surrounded him. Hundreds of gems of all types were sitting in what looked to be stands, yelling and cheering for reasons unknown to him.
Bringing his attention back to the ring, the Topaz could see another figure standing a few feet across from him. The gem's face was expressionless as he summoned a weapon from his gem stone, a standard-looking sword. Realizing the situation that he was in, the Topaz took a step back, holding his hands out in a passive gesture. "H-Hey, put that thing away, yeah? We can talk about this. I-I can't even summon a weapon!"
A loud buzzer rang out before the Topaz could receive a response, and it was then that the gem standing across from him sprang into action. With an unnatural amount of speed, the gem rushed at him, sword held out forwards in an attempt to stab the Topaz through his middle.
Letting out a quick yell, the Topaz barely managed to roll out of the way, stopping a good distance away from the gem before quickly getting back onto his feet. "H-Hey! Please, just stop what you're doing! I don't want to fight you!" He could see the gem let out what looked like a sigh as he straightened himself and prepared for his next attack.
The minutes that passed by felt like hours to the Topaz as he continued to desperately avoid the gem's attacks, all the while pleading for him to stop the fight. He wasn't even supposed to be here! He had been accused of being involved in a political scandal back on Home World, but when he had tried to attest that he had no connection to it whatsoever, he had been charged as guilty without so much as a right to trial! And now, he was stuck in 'The Arena,' fighting against a random gem he had no reason to fight.
By now the Topaz's breathing had become haggard, the exhaustion of both attempting to reason with the gem and avoiding his relentless waves of attacks finally catching up with him. He soon took a knee, the multiple cuts that he had gotten from a few unlucky dodges forcing his legs to keep him grounded, and watched as the gem slowly walked up to him. By the time he had reached him, the Topaz could feel tears welling up in his eyes.
"Please... I don't even know why I'm here. I haven't done anything wrong!"
The crowd was practically roaring with applause as the match seemed to be nearing its end. A few spectators had gotten up from their seats and moved closer to the ring, their faces beaming with excitement.
The gem, who had been quiet throughout the entire match, took a quick glance at the stands above him before turning his attention back to his opponent. Raising his sword into the air, the Topaz could see a hint of sadness in the gem's features as he uttered, "I'm sorry."
Swiping the sword diagonally across the Topaz's chest, the gem spun around with a flourish before plunging his sword straight into the Topaz's stomach. A few seconds ticked by before he suddenly erupted into a puff of smoke, the gem stone falling down onto the dirt floor.
"The winner of this match's fight is... Aquamarine!!!"
Prase's hands tightly clenched around her slender arms, not caring about her nails digging in to her skin. She kept her eyes tightly shut, trying to ignore everything around her, not that it helped. The cold metal bench she sat on, creaks of the lockers, and roar of the restless crowd all reminded her of where she was. Her body was slouched and tense. Everything here made her feel so small, so exposed, so defenseless.
There was no way to see this situation in a good light. She isn't a brawler, she wasn't meant to be in the first place. What did the competition have? Swords, gauntlets, sheilds, and goddesss knows what kind of destructive abilities. What did she have? A bow and a time limit. Even if she did make it, what would it had all been for? Her freedom? There was nothing out there for her. Nothing for her to fight for, live for, not if her partner was still trapped in this cage.
Speak of the devil.
The green gem felt a shift in weight behind her. Two larger hands slipped underneath her own, gently prying them off her bruised arms. She felt the bridge of a nose against her temple and a braid drape itself over a shoulder. She leaned back slightly, allowing two toned arms to wrap around her torso. It one of the few things that brought her comfort since being here. Familiar, warm, and comforting. Protective and firm, yet so gentle.
She opened her eyes half way and crossed her arms to place her slender hands over the ones lying limp near her hips. She parted her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. Her thought where a violent tornado in her head, picking things up, messing with her, then putting them down only to leave them behind in ruin. What was the right thing to say?
"I'm scared," Moss mumbled in her monotone voice behind her ear.
Prase shifted slightly to give her a look of inquiry, but could only see the fern marking adorning her cheek. She gave a sigh and rested her head on the other gem's chest. Those were the right words, but perhaps nothing more had to be said at the moment.
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